Ittle Dew (Wii U eShop) Review

It's Hump Day, everybody! Start your Wednesday morning off the right way with a brand-new SuperPhillip Central review! ...Okay, there's better ways to kick off a work day morning, but go with us here! Here's our review of Ittle Dew, a Nintendo eShop title from Ludosity for the Wii U. (Note: Screens are not all entirely from the Wii U version of the game.)

Do the Dew

While the third-party support on the Wii U is without question anemic, besides Nintendo providing content itself, indie developers have picked up the slack. In a certain sense, it's somewhat of a blessing that the larger third-party studios have decided to stay away from the Wii U. Indie developers and their games don't get as easily overlooked or upstaged due to the fact that there's little else on the system besides what Nintendo and competing indies have to offer. I know for certain that I probably wouldn't have been able to take a look at so many indie games on the Wii U had my time and money went towards larger, more expensive third-party efforts. That isn't to say I don't miss third-party support or the absence of it is great for the Wii U or the indies developing for it.

Still, I love highlighting indie developers when I can, and when one of the studios churns out a game, I'm happy to cover it-- more so if it's of actual quality. Ludosity's Ittle Dew, a Zelda-like game that released on other platforms in digital form last year, is one of those games. Take a gander at what Ittle Dew does right, and you'll see that you'll want to do the dew, too.

One thing you'll notice right away when playing Ittle Dew is its great similarities to The Legend of Zelda games A Link to the Past gameplay-wise, and The Wind Waker, art style-wise. Ittle Dew constantly plays out like an amusing parody of the series that doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest. From making morbid jokes about eating the hearts of enemies to regain health to why the island exists in the first place, Ittle Dew puts a lampshade on many Zelda conventions, but it does so in all good fun.

I think we can all be thankful that isn't the case!

Ittle Dew has you returning to the island's main castle on multiple occasions. It's pretty much the game's Temple of the Ocean King a la The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. However, unlike said temple, progress through the castle is made easy with various portals that can be traveled through to make reaching past destinations inside the huge area a breeze.

The purpose of trekking through the castle is to obtain gold from treasure chests. Once enough gold has been acquired through venturing within the areas available to you with your current set of items, you can return to the island's shopkeeper to purchase a new item. Well, that's not entirely true. You see, simply purchasing the item you need wouldn't be much of an adventure! Instead, you get transported to the dungeon where the desired item is located. Not only do you have to find your way to the chest containing the item, but you have to get out of the dungeon using the newly attained doodad.

"Is that swordfish fair game to purchase?"

There are three main items within Ittle Dew, and they each take up a face button on the Wii U GamePad. The portal wand takes up two spaces: one to summon a green block, and one to shoot a wave of magic that will teleport whatever or whomever it touches to the location of the summoned green block. The latter two items include the fire sword, which is great for lighting up torches, and the ice wand, great for freezing foes. The combination of items allows you to reach further inside the island's castle, eventually letting you face off against the game's final boss.

Thank goodness there's no
overhead fire sprinklers in this castle!

The majority of puzzles in Ittle Dew revolve around manipulating blocks, defeating all of the enemies in a room, and using the trio of items in the game either separately or in combination with one another. Such a puzzle can have you summoning a green block with the portal wand, freezing the block with the ice wand so when you push the block it slides across the ground (notably over the otherwise impassable spikes) until it hits something solid, and then you using the ice wand on a wall so when you fire the portal wand's magical beam at it, it reflects off the frozen part of the wall, hits you, and you transport to where the frozen block rests. This effectively allows you past the spikes that were halting your progress. No worries-- it's a much easier process to see than it is to write out!

Ooh, baby, baby.
Baby, baby. (Push it!)

Ittle Dew seems like a short game for those who simply plow through it. However, there's a wide amount of collectible cards which feature information about various enemies in the game, as well as bits of scrap paper that when four are collected, an extra heart is added to your total health. The latter sort of sounds familiar, does it not? The inclusion of various optional caverns and puzzles make for a game that can be played long after the credits have rolled.

For those who have waited for the Wii U version or simply had no other alternative, there's really nothing special that distinguishes this Wii U iteration of Ittle Dew over already released versions. For one, the GamePad's sole use is as a map for players. Now, that's helpful and all, but it's not like Ittle Dew is an open world game where the player needs to constantly look at a map to see where he or she is going. Secondly, off-TV play is supported, but in a baffling omission, there's no sound from the GamePad when this option is selected. Hopefully this can be patched in in the future, and it won' take long like a certain game called Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, which, by the way, we've still yet to see a patch for for the same problem here in North America!

There's far more to this castle
than meets the eye!

The visuals of Ittle Dew are really lovely and beautifully done. Characters and objects have lines that sort of wiggle and vibrate as if they were in a Dr. Katz cartoon, but it's an endearing artistic touch. The game runs relatively well, but the constant auto-saving and loading in between rooms or areas makes for some noticeable slowdown. Regarding Ittle Dew's sound, the music is passable, but I wouldn't be able to hum you anything from the game. That's just how forgettable it is, albeit thankfully not grating.

Ittle Dew is an inexpensive ($10 USD) take on The Legend of Zelda formula that isn't afraid of poking of itself and series conventions. What might at first seem to be a short and rote take on the series's gameplay is actually something worth playing due to some clever, usually brain-scratchingly good puzzles, humorous writing, and large list of collectible goodness. For a game that is essentially a Zelda-lite from an indie developer, Ittle Dew is not a title you will have to settle with by simply saying, "Eh, it'll do."

...I'll excuse myself now, as even I felt how forced that wordplay was.

[SPC Says: 8.0/10]

Most Anticipated Games of E3 2014

Another E3 is in the books, and it was quite a bittersweet event. The big three had their moments, but one of them did far more to impress me than the other two. Here is my own personal list of games that were shown during E3 2014 that I am most excited about. One thing you will notice right away is the abundance of Nintendo titles or games on Nintendo platforms. Perhaps it's my disinterest and dissatisfaction with the typical Western AAA mindset, the over-reliance on guns, violence, and gore, and the lack of genuine creativity from that aforementioned mindset, but what the big Western publishers lack in exciting content for me personally, indies more than pick up their humongous slack. Regardless, this list of highlights from this past E3 are for games of the retail nature.

The Legend of Zelda (Wii U)

Many fans of The Legend of Zelda series like myself had great excitement for the new Wii U Zelda game. What would it be like? Would it follow the remarkable formula of the 3DS entry, A Link Between Worlds? When the teaser trailer for the Wii U debut of The Legend of Zelda series was shown, revealing an open world for Link and Epona to explore, all expectations were shattered. Few could say that they were going to be as floored as they were with the introductory trailer for the game. Unlike a certain Western open world series, exploring the countryside of what could be assumed is Hyrule probably won't have nearly as many unintended game-breaking bugs and glitches.

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U)

Since I'm on the subject of The Legend of Zelda, let's focus on this really interesting title, Hyrule Warriors, which turned out to not just be a tentative title for the game after all. It was, in fact, its final name. I am not a huge fan of the Dynasty Warriors series, but that has nothing to do with the gameplay, albeit it is decidedly repetitive in nature. No, I usually am not a fan of the source material. Japanese warlords and ancient battles spread across the Land of the Rising Sun and such don't really appeal to me. However, when the gameplay is thrown in with a property I enjoy, such as Mobile Suit Gundam, then I get very giddy and enjoy myself more. Becoming one of Hyrule's all-stars and slaying slews of enemies sounds and looks absolutely awesome, and I'm loving what Tecmo-Koei is doing with the Zelda license for this one-of-a-kind Dynasty Warriors experience.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS (Wii U, 3DS)

While Nintendo's definition of summer is questionable at best (October is not summer), the release of the Nintendo 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. is shaping up to be smash-a-riffic. (...That was horrible.) Regardless, both versions of the game will feature the same rosters of characters, but each will receive their own set of stages, modes, and trophies. With the announcement of rumored roster additions such as Mii, Pac-man, and Palutena at this past E3, the lineup of characters continues to amaze. As with all Masahiro Sakurai-directed games, expect to be playing these new Smash games long into this console generation!

Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)

The Wii did not have a wide assortment of RPG's available to it, but the ones that it did have were rather impressive. The most impressive of which came from Monolith Soft, now owned by Nintendo. The game was none other than Xenoblade Chronicles, a game that Nintendo of America had to have its arm bent just to have it sold over on this side of the pond. Now its sequel is arriving for the Wii U come sometime next year, and fans of mech combat and JRPGs couldn't be any happier. Xenoblade Chronicles X is the type of game that makes even those who never thought they'd ever want a Nintendo console think abo

Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, XONE)

There are really just a handful of titles that make me want to purchase a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Despite the systems' sales, I just don't see much to look forward to. Perhaps I've become jaded in this perpetual arms race-- this continually more expensive hobby of mine. Regardless, one game that intrigues me and that will no doubt be of high quality is Batman's debut on the PS4 and Xbox One, Batman: Arkham Knight. Developer Rocksteady has a knack for creating exceptionally tried and true gameplay that feels like you're the dark knight instead of other games in the past by other developers where you just feel like you're the dork knight. Here's hoping Batman: Arkham Knight captivates audiences come next year.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)

A common occurrence at E3 this year was the massive amount of game trailers that did not show a speck of gameplay in them. Uncharted 4 is one of those, but to be fair, that was to be expected, as the game has a long ways to go in development. Still, Hollywood wannabe studi-- I mean, game developer Naughty Dog has created just enough of a teaser trailer to pique my interest for the PlayStation 4's first foray in the Uncharted series.

LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3)

I had said in the past that if a new Ratchet & Clank or LittleBigPlanet was announced for the PlayStation 4, I would seriously be more open to purchasing the platform. However, the latter is a cross-gen title, and Ratchet & Clank is purely a remake so I lucked out! Featuring various new Sack-characters to play as, more dynamic levels, and a new developer (the great Sumo Digital), LittleBigPlanet 3 seems to be three times the charm of the original, and it should open up an entirely new avenue of creation for aspiring level and game makers.

Mario Maker (Wii U)

Ever since the original Super Mario Bros., players have been yearning to create their own levels. "I could make a level better than that!" How many times have you heard that line before? Now those who utter those words can put their proverbial money where their mouths are with Mario Maker. What was shown at E3 was rather bare-bones, offering a very brief amount of content, a short level length, and few customization options. However, Nintendo has revealed that the game is in early development, so more Mario enemy and obstacle types, graphical styles, and perhaps even an accompanying music composition software may be included in the finished product.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)

When playing the five or so Captain Toad levels within Super Mario 3D World, I, like many of you playing the same levels, thought of how cool it would be if Nintendo expanded upon the concept and created a wholly original game from it. Apparently, all of us who thought this telepathically communicated with Nintendo developers, as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, the final product, is coming this holiday season to a Wii U near you. With much more complex levels and even boss battles, a representative of the Toad family finally gets a starring role!

Splatoon (Wii U)

Nintendo often gets criticized for not having many new franchises. Of course, this is ignoring all of the new franchises it has launched within the past generation. Those don't count because of... well, reasons. Now, an incredibly charming and inventive take on the third-person shooter genre gets the Nintendo treatment with Splatoon. Two teams of four spray paint across a 3D battlefield. The team with the most paint of their color on the map at time's end is deemed the winning team. While only multiplayer was shown at E3, I'm hoping more modes and even some single-player content will be in the retail release coming in 2015.

Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)

Tentatively titled Yarn Yoshi was shown off early last year. Since then, there was virtually nothing spoken about the title. That was until last week, where the first game featured in Nintendo's successful Digital Event was the rebirth of this long-awaited game, Yoshi's Woolly World. It's a game that takes the concept of the Wii's Kirby's Epic Yarn and expands upon it greatly. Comparing the early visuals of Yarn Yoshi to what we see now in Yoshi's Woolly World, and there's a huge and markedly noticeable difference. Yoshi's latest 2D platformer looks like it is going to be a winner... or sew it seams sew far.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

One of my favorite Nintendo DS games came out within the first year of the system, Kirby: Canvas Curse. Not only did it show me that touch controls could work for games, but it was also an exceptional platformer in its own right with a lot of love and a lot of fun put into it. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is set to debut on the Wii U next year, and it brings all the similar "draw lines to guide Kirby" gameplay to the system. Its clay motif is sensationally charming, and it looks like claymation come to life.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)

Even as someone who hasn't beaten the majority of mainline Final Fantasy games for different reasons (e.g. got bored, lost interest, characters were annoying, battle system sucked, etc.), one constant that has been with the series and all of its various spin-offs since the beginning is that the music is always phenomenal. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, the sequel to the 2012 game, is a celebration of all things Final Fantasy, whether it's the music, the characters, the games, and so on and so forth. With over 200 songs to tap, touch, and slide to (and that's not counting the DLC), multiple Final Fantasy sub-series included, and various unlockables to attain, Curtain Call is one meaty sequel to one of my favorite rhythm games of all time.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

While I am a bit bummed that I currently won't be able to play Monster Hunter 4 on the big screen with a Wii U version, I'm pleased that I'll be able to play it at all with the 3DS release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. With new gameplay enhancements and online play, this edition of Monster Hunter is looking to be the best and most improved one yet!

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What games from this past E3 interested you the most? Hop on over to the comments section (it's a short hop-- promise!) to let everyone know!

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (3DS, Vita) Review

Batman: Arkham Knight certainly impressed us with its E3 2014 presence on the show floor and its accompanying trailer. It seems as good a time as any to talk about a much lesser talked about entry in the series, the one that appeared on both the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita. It's Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, and here is our review.

What Happens When the Inmates Run the Asylum

Batman is set to make his eighth generation debut in a big blockbuster way with Batman: Arkham Knight. While that game might have slipped into 2015, the buzz for the game is still at a fever pitch, especially after a successful showing at last week's E3. This will mark developer Rocksteady's third go at it with the Batman license and the fourth console game in the Arkham series. Meanwhile, Armature Studio, made up of talent of former Retro Studios employees, created and launched the Arkham series's first foray on handhelds late last year with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for both the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Is being the bat on the small screen all it is cracked up to be, or will the experience drive you batty?

Blackgate the game's story happens three months after the events of Batman: Arkham Origins. Three of the most violent and vicious criminals in Gotham City, The Joker, The Penguin, and Black Mask, reside in Blackgate Prison, each with long-term residencies. When an explosion goes off within the prison, the three criminals take the opportunity to scrounge up their own set of henchmen and occupy one of three major areas of Blackgate. Batman goes in to make things right, all the while uncovering that the prison explosion has more than meets the eye to it.

Stylized hand-drawn comics like this one
give some zing to the presentation of Blackgate's story.

Blackgate's tale is told successfully through hand-drawn comic panels with the bonus of included voice acting to add some more dimension to things. Blackgate contains a story that won't blow the minds of players, but it will keep them playing along until the very end of the 10-12 hour campaign.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate plays similarly to Metroid, although Blackgate contains a fleshed out 2.5D perspective that does a lot to impress. However, it also does a lot to detract from the experience due to its less than stellar execution.

A main issue with traversal through Blackgate's environments concerns the in-game map. The actual game world features rooms and hallways that cross over one another, sometimes having Batman move into a room that isn't just to the left or right as is typical of a 2D game but actually in the background. The map Blackgate uses does not account for any of these variables. This makes it all too easy to become confused and frustrated as to which way you need to go. It may seem you're in the correct room, but since the map is presented in an overhead perspective, you might be several floors above the room you need to be in. A 3D map a la Metroid Prime would have been a much better solution for players to avoid any kind of confusion.

A dynamic camera makes it so you seldom
don't have a fantastic view of the action.

Then there's Blackgate itself. Being set in a prison, one would not expect a bright color pallet for the art direction of the game. This is particularly true with Blackgate, as there are tons of subdued color choices, drab, dull, and uninteresting rooms and hallways to move through. The visual variety presented is seriously lacking, and this is only compounded by the tedious amounts of backtracking involved in Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. Enemies do not return once they have been defeated, so Batman is basically running through empty chambers with the occasional need to use one of his bat gadgets to progress.

This 3DS screen shows the multi-layered
levels of Blackgate Prison.

That said, the actual game world of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is expertly designed, as one would expect from former Retro Studios staffers. The amount of well placed hidden secrets, such as costume parts, health upgrades, and other goodies, makes for a game that possesses some admirable replay value and longevity.

As for enemy encounters, these have made a successful transition from Blackgate's big console brothers. These battles still occur in Blackgate's 2D gameplay plane, but Batman automatically moves between the foreground and background as he pulverizes foes. The free flowing combat allows players to effortlessly string together high combo totals just like the console games, albeit in a much simpler form. There's still opportunities for enemies to get shots in, but precise timing of the counter button allows Batman to save his hide from injury.

Basketball season may be over,
but Batman's going for the slam dunk.

The game features multiple boss encounters, and unlike many other games of its type, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate allows the player to choose which of the three main bosses to attempt to tackle and take down first, as each controls one third of Blackgate Prison. The boss fights are relatively clever in their design, offering more of a puzzle element to them than straight up waiting for an opening and then mashing buttons. For instance, the Joker battle is set in a circular arena, where Batman must use the Line Launcher gadget to cut across the middle of the arena to run into the seemingly always retreating killer clown. With the proper timing, Batman's feet connect with Joker's wicked mug.

Stealth plays a notable factor in Blackgate.

Batman's arsenal isn't limited to his fists and feet, however. The dark knight isn't known as a superhero simply because of his massive intellect and skills of deduction. No, he also has a slew of supporting gadgets to assist him throughout his objective. Like any good Metroid-styled title, Batman comes across new gadgets and abilities to allow him access to new areas within the linked-together game world. Since Batman is unable to jump within Blackgate, his grappling hook is used to reach higher destinations. Batman can pull weakened walls down with his Batclaw, and some Explosive Gel is perfect for destroying obstacles in his way.

Need to cross this huge gap?
Bring on the Line Launcher!

The Arkham series's trademark Detective Mode returns in Blackgate, allowing players to scan and identify notable objects in the environment. Nonetheless, this is much more of a hassle and nuisance rather than being rewarding and enjoyable. Various interactive environment obstacles are strewn about the confines of Blackgate Prison. These must be scanned in Detective Mode before they can be interacted with, so that means that even if the obstacle is incredibly obvious as something that can be manipulated by Batman, he must still scan it. This constant scanning of areas brings the pace of play to a screeching halt at times.

Even enemy lines of vision can be
viewed in Detective Mode.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a novel approach in transitioning the gameplay of the Arkham series from home consoles and creating a small-screen experience that works well overall. A poor map and a lot of repetitive visual design brews up some annoyances, but all in all, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate swoops onto the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita systems with a lot of style and a fair amount of substance to back it up.

[SPC Says: 7.25/10]

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Double the Dope Sounds Edition

Since we did not do our regular weekly segment of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs last week due to E3, the best video game music themes from past to present return this week with a vengeance. We have double the amount of VGM goodness to make up for the absence of this segment last week. That's right. You will be getting ten different video game themes this week! Such games featured in this edition include: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, LittleBigPlanet 2, Mega Man X4, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

v641. Star Fox Adventures (GCN) - Cape Claw

Although the final product left much to be desired, Star Fox Adventures possesses a fantastic soundtrack, as one would expect from the masterful musical minds at Rare. Star Fox Adventures would end Nintendo and Rare's relationship on home consoles on a sour note, unfortunately, as again, the game left much to be desired.

v642. LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3) - Eve's Asylum

Whimsical, weird, and wonderful all at the same time, this theme from the Eve's Asylum world of LittleBigPlanet 2 delivers delightful sounds to the listener. The game's level creation tools are unparalleled to this day on consoles, but they're not for everyone, especially if you dislike the game's floaty physics.

v643. Burning Rangers (SAT) - I Just Smile (English)

It's been a while since we've last taken a look and listen to a SEGA Saturn exclusive title. We venture into the world of Burning Rangers and its signature song, "I Just Smile." The last reference from SEGA concerning the Burning Rangers franchise occurred in the arcade kart race Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, where one of the final tracks took place in the Rangers' base.

v644. Blinx The Time Sweeper (XBX) - Time Square

The original Xbox received a myriad of fascinating, imaginative, and charming titles. Plenty of experiments were had on the system, especially in comparison to what the Xbox brand pumps out in more recent years. While Blinx The Time Sweeper is by no means a platformer of great virtuosity, it did try to change up the formula of the 3D platformer, and for that, we salute the game.

v645. Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast (Wii) - DK Jungle

Another game that could be considered an experiment, Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast is an atypical racer where players control one of many Donkey Kong Country related characters through shaking both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The game was originally supposed to use the bongo controller of the GameCube, but then the project, much like Super Paper Mario, had its development turned over to the Wii.

v646. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS) - Hyrule Castle (Orchestra)

We love orchestrated versions of classic video game themes-- when done right, that is. The Hyrule Symphony album which takes various The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time themes and arranges them into themes for almost solely string instruments is one of those albums that sits high on our list of great rearranged soundtracks. This theme is the one heard in the castle market of Hyrule.

v647. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360) - Parading the Jiggoseum

Imagine a coliseum filled to the brim with things to do and tasks to complete. That is what you get when you visit the Jiggoseum world of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for the Xbox 360. If you know your Banjo-Kazooie series music, then you can no doubt pick up on the motif of Hailfire Peaks from Banjo-Tooie. Although Nuts & Bolts was not the game fans of the franchise were hoping for, it's by no means a poor game at all.

v648. Mega Man X4 (PS1, SAT) - Intro Stage (X)

Mega Man X4 contains one of our favorite soundtracks from the entire Mega Man series. That's a ton of games, so you know it must be something special! Mega Man X4 was the X franchise's first foray into 32 bit gaming on the original PlayStation and the Saturn home consoles. It was also the first game in the series where players could freely select between Mega Man X and Zero right from the start of the game, each having their own story line. This single-handily doubled the amount of replay value to the game.

v649. Chibi Robo! (GCN) - Midday Majesty

Nintendo is known for having a lot of weird game franchises to go along with its more traditional series. For every Mario and Zelda there is a series like Chibi Robo! to enjoy. Chibi's debut was on the Nintendo GameCube, and to call the game "quirky" would seriously be considered an understatement. What can you say about doing chores around a house where one of the daughters dresses up and talks like a frog? We can say that that's awesome!

v650. Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - One-Winged Angel

One of the most popular themes in the Final Fantasy franchise, the battle theme that plays during the final form of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII certainly astounds with its heavy use of chanting, synth symphonic instruments, and tense feeling.