The Legend of Zelda Timeline and Analysis

Hello everyone,

It's been awhile since anybody has posted on this site, what with life responsibilities and everything. Sorry to any readers who were crushed by this news.

Anyway, I have just completed my Zelda Timeline paper that I have been working on for about a month, after having completed all of the Zelda titles in the series, playing each during one long month marathon. I figured this would be the perfect place to publish my paper, in PDF format. I might work on an eBook format, but we'll see.

Please feel free to download a copy for yourself, of this 56 page, 20 chapter masterpiece detailing the entire Zelda Timeline. You can download it simply by clicking THIS LINK.

If you have any comments or suggestions, you can leave a comment here or email me at masterzpotts[at]gmail.com

Thanks and enjoy.

-Zach

DOWNLOAD HERE, in case you missed it.


--Thanks to GoNintendo for the shout-out!
--Also huge thanks to Kotaku for theirs as well!

Initial 3DS Impressions

Hello all, I picked up my 3DS this morning, along with four games: Ridge Racer, Super Monkey Ball, Nintendogs + Cats, and Pilotwings Resort. I've played around with the device a little bit, and here are some basic impressions.

The first thing I noticed when unpacking the 3DS, is how sexy that handheld is. I have the Cosmo Black one, and it's just hot. I don't know, maybe it's because it's a new piece of tech, but it just looks and feels slick. I like it.

The stylus takes a little work to pull out, and I can't just flick it out and get it from the slot. It's also inconveniently placed on the back of the system, instead of on the side like the DSi, and I think the DS Lite. It also takes a bit of work to extend it as well. Granted, it's all brand new and shouldn't be flimsy, but it simply takes a bit of effort to pull it out and use, so you can't just do it at will during gameplay. You'd want to pause the game, take it out, extend it, and then go. We'll see if it gets easier after doing it a bit.

The camera is kinda shitty. Haven't played around with it too much, and it was in a semi-dark room, but it's like, .3 megapixels, and it's all...pixelated....It ain't no iPhone 4 camera. I haven't messed with any real 3D pics though, so no comment.

Everything can have a suspend temporary save, and everything pretty much requires one. I haven't looked at the manual yet, because it's 100 pages long, but it seems like each channel requires a suspend save, although there are a few menu items on the top bar, like the browser, note pad, and notifications, that don't have this suspend file. You can also only have one suspend at once. What this basically means is, you can't suspend a game file, from the cartridge, go to the menu, and do ANYTHING else. You are limited to the few aforementioned options on the top menu.

Also with the above, you HAVE to create a suspend file when leaving any of these channels/applications. For instance, with the Mii Plaza, when you leave, you AUTOMATICALLY create a suspend file. There is no way to simply go back to the main menu. You can't hit 'B' until you're at the home screen, but instead, MUST hit the HOME button to go back, which creates the suspend. This is kind of weird, and not how the Wii does it. This also requires a few warning messages to pop up, alerting you that you have the suspend and alerting you that when you try to enter another channel, it will be deleted. It's pretty annoying.

Another interesting thing I'm noticing is that a lot of stuff is saved automatically to the SD card. This includes some 'extra data' that games save to. Out of the retail games, I've only played Ridge Racer, but it has some of this 'extra data' which is saved to the SD card, and not the Ridge Racer cart itself. I'm not 100% what all this means, but I think it's like ghost data and SpotPass data. I just find it a bit odd that it would need to save onto something besides the cart, and wonder exactly how much data this is and how much Nintendo will allow for. You might need to be getting a few more SD cards....

And while I do like the slide pad, when I'm playing, I feel like it should be able to move further out. Like, when I'm taking a turn, I want to move the pad more to the right or left to take a tighter turn, but it's hitting that wall and I can't turn anymore. I also noticed this while playing the demo of Pilotwings at Best Buy earlier last week. I'm not sure if it's just my 360 controller has a deeper analog or what. I guess I have to get used to it.

Other than those things though, the 3DS is pretty slick. The interface is nice and the buttons are solid. Setting up the device is very easy, and the system moves you step by step to set you up. Each channel, like the Mii Plaza, pictures, music, etc, each have a little guide to help you navigate the options. There is also a notifications menu to give you little tips. This channel will also house notes about StreetPass and who you've downloaded info from. It seems cool, but was kind of annoying when starting, as you would see you had a notification, go and check it to see a tip about the menu, exit, and then instantly get another notification, which was another tip. I understand why they might not want to bombard you with information at the beginning, but don't make me go in and out of the same app for no reason.

But yeah, so far, enjoying it. The hardware is solid, and the software is great as well.

Kirby's Epic Yarn Review

With Nintendo's next retro-centric platformer, Donkey Kong Country Returns (which I have pre-ordered so maybe you'll see a review soon? ... though I do have a lot that still need writing first) on the horizon, it's a bout time that I finally write this review. I mean, it came out on the same day as it's visual polar opposite, Fallout: New Vegas, which I've surely invested more time in. But that's nothing against this game, after all it was my Game of E3 so hopefully my hyped meter was fulfilled... right? Read on to find out!

Story
What else were you expecting from Kirby? One day he's out walking aimlessly, when he spots food and decides to eat it ... but this is no ordinary food, it's made of yarn! Suddenly an evil wizard, Yin-Yarn, appears, angry at Kirby for eating his special food and warps him into a sock ... which happens to be a secret universe were Kirby realizes he is made of yarn and the whole world is as well. But there'sa problem, Yin-Yarn has disrupted the balance of this world and with the help of Prince Fluff, Kirby must literally sew the world back together.

The game's story is presented in a very storybook fashion, with paper/yarn cutouts representing the characters with minimal animation, and a mostly creepy narrator explaing the story and taking the speaking roles for all the character. It's a bit minimal by today's standards, but it totally works for the tone of the game.

Gameplay
What sets Epic Yarn apart from the traditional Kirby games is that there is no inhaling mechanic. To some scoffers, they'd say this isn't a Kirby game then, but if you recall, Canvas Curse on the DS also didn't use the standard inhale/use enemies' powers gameplay either, and it's regarded as one of the best in the series. Instead you are "yarn powered" which allows Kirby to transform into anything at any given moment, and use string to interact with the world and its inhabitants. Want to move faster? Turn into a car. Want float down instead of falling? Turn into a parachute. It's simple, but it works well.

Some if not all levels also feature parts where Kirby can transform completely, instead of just for one task like speed or floating; these include changing into rally cars, surfing penguins, giant tanks, UFOs, space ships and more, which add a lot of variety to the standard platforming, and if I do say so myself, the shmup-style levels are some of the best the game has to offer.

However, there is one gripe I have about the game ... it's insanely easy. Sure, it's a Kirby game, and has an incredibly light-hearted presentation, but having played nearly every Kirby game before it, I'd say this is by far the easiest game in the series. Don't be surprised if you can actually manage to beat this in a day, but unlike games like God of War III which only lasts few hours, theres actually some incentive to replay this game numerous time. There's also 2 player co-op, but I think because the game's already very easy having two players would probably just cause confusion than add any extra fun... and of course there's no online co-op. But, you can arrange furniture and play mini-games! ... yay?

Graphics
However, the gameplay isn't what sold this game for me. I was sold when I first saw this game's beautiful art-style back at E3 this year, and thankfully it stays completely fresh throughout the game with ever-changing level design and gameplay mechanics that further enhance this game's unique visual style. It's one of the few times I'd actually argue in favor of an HD capable Wii because 480p just doesn't do this enough justice and this game already out-rival's Sony's PixelJunk series (which I also love) when comes to fantastic play, unique looking HD 2D games. HD aside though, this game still looks great on my TV at 480p and sometimes I feel like the game is really made of physical material and not just highly detailed graphics. Whoever is responsible for this style needs a promotion.

Sound
You can't have a Kirby game without great music right? Well the its no different this time around, but instead of the surprisingly brutal polka tracks that we're used to hearing from Kirby games we're given a much more lighthearted soundtrack that certainly fits well with the visual style. It may not be for everyone, but for myself, when I was getting frustrated with the glitch-heavy wasteland of Fallout: New Vegas I'd turn on my Wii with Kirby's Epic Yarn and relax my frustrations away, and the music certainly helped.

Final Thoughts
Kirby's Epic Yarn is definitely one of the best games on the Wii right now, even if it is overly simplistic. Is it going to lure over the Halo crowd from their Xboxes? Probably not. But can you be a grown man and still enjoy a game that looks like it was designed for toddlers, definitely. Epic Yarn is surely a testament to that, and definitely embraces the all-ages approach of the Wii. Whether or not you'll be able to accept the game's incredibly easy gameplay is up to you, but it'd be a shame to miss out on a game that looks these beautiful and still has solid platforming.

Overall Score: 9/10

Metroid: Other M Review

I would like to start of by saying that I had high hopes for Metroid: Other M. It's been far to long since we've had a good Metroid title, and Other M's mix between 2D, 3D, and first person shooter seemed like it had a lot of potential. On that note, I would like to say that I was not disappointed by Other M, but at the same time the game did not meet my expectations.

Other M begins with the ending scene from Super Metroid, which admittedly is pretty damn cool. Seeing one of the greatest endings in video game history come to life in full-on 3D immediately gets you hyped to play this game. Unfortunately, immediately following this cut-scene is a tutorial on the games controls, which is where the problems begin. At this point you will have realized that the game is controlled by a single Wiimote. At first this was fine, everything was going swimmingly. Then first person mode is introduced. I immediately began to see problems, the biggest one being that fact that without a nunchuck it is impossible for you to move your character while in first person mode, and lets not forget that the only time you can use missiles is while in first person mode, meaning that the game literally forces you to use it when fighting a boss, or simply a strong enemy.

Notice how above I said "a boss or a strong enemy", well this is where my next problem with the game comes in. Usually you are simply fighting bats, or small rodents, that are easily killed with a shot or two from your cannon, but occasionally you will come across a stronger enemy, almost like a mini boss, which I could not stand. Nine times out of ten I found myself dying on these mini bosses more so than I did on the actual bosses. The biggest problem with the mini bosses was the fact there was always a specific way you needed to kill them, otherwise they would simply stay alive forever. Sometimes you would need to jump on there head, other times you would need to shoot them in a weak spot, perhaps you would need to go first person and fire a missile at them, or maybe you needed to do all three of these in a specific order before the mini boss would finally go down. It may not sound that difficult, but you need to keep in mind that these bosses would deal and overly powerful amount of damage (usually 40-60 points of damage), and they constantly stuck you in a 2-3 hit combo that you simply could not escape, and 90% of the time the doors to the room would lock until you had beaten this monster.

Which leads me to my next, and final, complaint about Other M. When I think Metroid I think of a few very simple things:

1) Exploring a deserted and unknown planet somewhere in the depths of the galaxy that contains...

2) Gigantic bosses that are guarding a wonder prize that is an...

3) Awesome power-up, sometimes old, and sometimes new.

Sadly, Other M disappointed me in all three of these areas. Throughout the course of the game you are taking orders from captain Adam Malkovich, he tells you exactly where to go, and exactly what weapons or power-ups you can use. With that I would like to thank everyone who ever complained about how "Samus always loses her powers at the beginning of every game", now I can only assume it is because of those people that Team Ninja decided they should switch it up. So, all you complainers, you got your wish. Samus starts with all of her powers from Super Metroid, but she decides not to use them until Adam tells her she can. This means that you will do exactly what Adam tells you to do, go exactly where Adam tells you to go, eventually fight a boss in these areas, and... receive absolutely nothing after defeating the boss. Now, I will admit that usually Adam gives you a new power-up while you are fighting a boss, but it doesn't have nearly the same effect as the classic Metroid style. The entire game I felt like I was accomplishing nothing, and that defeating the random bosses was completely pointless.

I realize that up until now I have basically done nothing but complained about what was wrong with Other M, but now that I have gotten all of that rotten stuff out of the way, I can focus on the things that I truly enjoyed about the game. The first thing that I would like to focus on would be the story.

I truly did enjoy the story of Other M, it was really what kept me going. Throughout the game you will find out a bit about Samus' past, why she quit the Galactic Federation to become a bounty hunter, and my personal favorite: How Ridley continues to re-appear in every game. That's right, as far as the story goes, Team Ninja definitely did their homework, and it certainly shows.

Another thing that I enjoyed was the battle system. I know that this is odd for me to say, considering that I was complaining about it earlier, but earlier was me complaining more about how over powered the mini bosses seemed to be. In the end the only problem I really have about the battle system is the fact that you can't move once you have entered first person mode. Other than that I liked how they went about handling the battle system, I enjoyed the way they allow you to dodge oncoming attacks, I enjoyed how fast paced the game was, but the thing I enjoyed most of all was jamming my cannon into a monster's skull, throat, or gut and firing a charge beam. It truly is a good feeling, especially if it's against a mini boss that has killed you 5 times.

Continuing with the three ideal things that each Metroid game should have, Other M was rather disappointing when it came to exploring and power-ups; though it did have a good amount of gigantic bosses that you needed to face. And on top of that, there were also a few recognizable faces among the bosses. Ridley being one of them, of course, but there was also an appearance of another Queen Metroid, just like the one you fought in Metroid II. Another familiar face is Nightmare, the gravity controlling monster that was first seen in Metroid Fusion (which takes place after this game).

All-in-all I think that the biggest problem with Metroid: Other M is simply the fact that it is a Metroid game. If it was a game that had no connection to the Metroid series whatsoever, like a new project from Nintendo and Team Ninja, I think I would have enjoyed it more, but the game truly just didn't have a Metroid feel to it. Still, if you're a die-hard Metroid fan like myself, and want to collect all the games, then you will not regret buying it. If not, then Other M is definitely worth a rent; you'll probably end up liking the game much more than I did because you won't be judging it against the other Metroid games.

Overall Score: 7.6/10

How Original is Kirby's Epic Yarn?

Nick sent me this video tonight, but refused to post it himself, so I'm doing it...

Thought Kirby's Epic Yarn was awesome looking, like I did? Now how would you feel if you found out it was actually done before? Yup, in a 1992 Japanese commercial for Kirby's Adventure on the Famicom, completely done in stop motion. As you can see, the style of Epic Yarn is almost identical to this commercial, give or take some tweaks in Kirby's modern design.

Is that a bad thing? No, the game still looks freaking awesome and the animation is great, thanks to computers, it's smoother than any 2D platformer I've seen before. Who knows? Maybe Good-Feel did look at this commercial as inspiration for the game's unique style, if not, whatever I'm still really pumped for the game.

My Favorite Trailer from E3, Seriously

There were definitely some neat things to see this year at the big three's press conferences. The Metal Gear Solid: Rising trailer shown during Microsoft's conference makes it look like a really cool, fresh entry into the Metal Gear franchise, and looks to be the most promising of the games that will use Kinect. But otherwise I wasn't amazed by the rest of the execution of the device.

Today, during Nintendo's conference, I thought the new Zelda, now named Skyward Sword, was going to be my favorite of the show. But the technical hiccups during Miyamoto's presentation really turned me off, but it's a new Zelda, so I'll end up buying it anyways; plus I really love the Wind Waker-ed Twilight Princess graphic style they're using. Heck, as awesome as it was to see a new Kid Icarus and the 3DS, one game still really stood out for me... Kirby's Epic Yarn. Which, despite the silly name, and even sillier timing by presenting it right after Disney Epic Mickey, is honestly one of the coolest looking games I've seen in a long time.


Like, seriously, LOOK AT THAT! I don't think I've ever seen another franchise get such a drastic visual overhaul and still feel like it should... except maybe Wind Waker. Point being, I really love the way the game looks and moves and I'd say it's a Day 1 purchase for me, based on this trailer alone. Now... if the Wii could output 1080p that'd make this even better, but I'll take this as is.

Sony, a new Last Guardian trailer would've surely won my heart, but ya blew it.

E3 10: Nintendo Conference

Microsoft's conference was part of Day 0 yesterday... so now it's Nintendo job to kick off E3 Day 1, and let's recap how their conference went:

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- First trailer/footage show
- Looks like Twilight Princess/Wind Waker
- Video with Miyamoto explaining controls
- Live on-stage demo
- Uses Wii MotionPlus
- Miyamoto teleported on-stage. HOLY SHIT!
- Wiimote calibration looks... off
- Can toss or roll bombs now
- Technical difficulties... [sadface]
- New beetle item to fly around and scout
- Comes out next year, hopefully they can fix the controls by then...

Mario Sports Mix
- For Wii
- Volleyball
- Hockey
- Dodgeball
- Soccer
- Basketball

WiiParty
- 13 different part game modes
- 70 different mini-games
- Coming Holiday 2010

Just Dance 2
- From Ubisoft for Wii
- Sequel to a game you probably didn't even play
- Supports up to 8 players (how?)
- Coming Fall 2010

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
- aka Golden Sun DS
- New trailer shown
- Coming Holiday 2010

Goldeneye 007
- Yes, a remake of the N64 game
- ... with Daniel Craig as James Bond (wtf?)
- Graphics look.. bad
- From Activision... how can this be without Rare?
- Coming this Holiday, exclusive for Wii

Disney Epic Mickey
- On-stage demo
- 2D animated cut-scenes... I love the style
- Paint and un-paint the world
- Game changes based on your actions (karma system basically)
- Three location types: quest, action, and travel zones
- Looks like a really cool game, especially if you're familiar with Disney animation history

Kirby: Epic Yarn
- A spin-off of Epic Mickey
- First gameplay trailer
- Oozes style, great animations
- Releasing Fall 2010 for Wii

Dragon Quest IX
- Reggie is just talking about it
- But this released in Japan already, so...

Metroid: Other M
- New trailer
- Releasing August 31st

Donkey Kong Country Returns
- From Retro Studios, yup, the Metroid Prime studio
- 2.5D gameplay, looks awesome
- Coming Holiday 2010

Nintendo 3DS
- Reveal trailer shown
- Device is shiny as hell, and small
- Fits in Iwata's one hand
- Top screen is 3.5" and wider than the bottom screen
- Has a 3D depth slider to adjust the effect
- 3D is only on the top screen, touch screen is just as it has been
- New 'Slide Pad' for analog control, D-pad still there
- Includes motion sensor and gyro sensor
- Outside has 2 camera lenses for 3D photography
- Capable of playing 3D movies (including partners Disney, Warner Brothers, and DreamWorks)
- Can use wifi while on or off (think WiiConnect24)

Kid Icarus: Uprising
- The same character model from Brawl
- Honestly, looks better than most Wii games

A ton of games announced in production
- Nintendogs + Cats
- Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
- DJ Hero 3D
- Kingdom Hearts 3D
- Resident Evil Revelation
- Saints Row
- Assassin's Creed
- Metal Gear Solid (!)
- and more!

Hilarious 3DS promo video shown. Show over. I'll update with media later.

I was iffy on the 3DS in concept form, and I still obviously don't know how the 3D experience is in person. But from what I saw of Kid Icarus: Uprising and the list of in-development titles... I'm pretty much sold. All I need now is a price and release date, but, honestly, I'm pretty pumped. But, at the same time, the lack of current DS content in the show was upsetting, other than Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, there was no DS content, not even a word of Pokemon Black and White. Does that mean 3DS is around the corner? Who knows.

Also, where was WiiWare and DSiWare? I was really glad of what had to be said about the next generation and 3DS, but I'd of liked to see more about the right now. But, that new Kirby game looks so different from anything I've ever seen and looks awesome, I'm now glad that nameless Kirby game from GameCube got scrapped. And the new Zelda looks great... but the control screw-ups were a bit disappointing. Sony you're next!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is here, and with it, more planet-hopping fun. The game takes just about everything from its predecessor, and adds even more stuff to it, including the loveable, green stallion, Yoshi, and a handful of new power-ups. Is this second installment of a true 3D Mario adventure on a single system really necessary, or at least feel different enough to warrant its existence? Read on to find out.

The first thing you’ll notice with Super Mario Galaxy 2, assuming you’ve played the first one, is that it is nearly identical to look and feel as its forerunner. The file system looks the same, graphics are about the same, and the controls are identical. The old power-ups are present as well, although they are relegated to use in a single galaxy or two each, so you won’t see them very often.

One of the main differences you’ll find off the bat is that you no longer have a large hub world to walk around in, going from room to room to get to a different galaxy. Instead, you have a small little space ship, which you can still explore, but you get to each world via a map, similar to New Super Mario Brothers, but very basic. Your space ship is still large enough to walk around on and investigate, with new creatures showing up every now and again to add a bit of character to your ship, but there isn’t anything too interesting to do on it, although you can learn some useful tidbits from some of the inhabitants. The world map is very familiar and easy to navigate. Each world has a handful of galaxies, which are set up on a couple of paths. You must get at least one star in a galaxy to open up the path ahead and continue, however, you don’t have to get all of the stars in a galaxy, nor do you have to even get a single star in all of the galaxies, as some world paths open up a bit and allow you to bypass certain galaxies. However, like previous Mario games, there are still star gates, in which you have to have a certain number of stars to progress, so you can’t just go skipping every level there is, and I don’t know why you would want to anyways.

The game starts you off running, and throws each new feature at you one after the other. One galaxy has you using the new drill, and then the next has the cloud power-up, while the one after that has Yoshi. I was surprised how each level at the beginning had a new item, but it’s in no way overwhelming. I just assumed they would have paced it differently, and spread them out a bit, but it’s not a detriment I don’t feel. Overall, I found all of the new items and features really cool and fun to use, although some have a few quirks. For instance, I couldn’t find a way to drop the drill, other than going into a transport star or getting hit by an enemy. Also, I would have liked to have had a bit more control with the cloud power-up. You only get three clouds to use per item pick-up, and they are activated by shaking the Wii remote, which usually gives you a little extra oompf with jumps. So, you can’t really do that spin to get that extra distance, as it would instead place a cloud. Also, I tended to place clouds on top of other platforms, which means I couldn’t get the item directly below me, but that would just be something I need to practice more on I guess. Also, the former didn’t tend to matter too much, as those cloud items were pretty generously placed.

Which brings me to difficulty. Galaxy 2 is supposed to be a lot more difficult that the first, however, I didn’t find that to be the case. Granted, I’m a pretty hard-core gamer and know my way around some Mario, but still, it didn’t seem dramatically more difficult than the first, and even, might have been easier. There were definitely 4 or 5 stars that gave me major trouble, but I don’t think they were more difficult than that infamous one in Galaxy were you had to get the 100 purple coins on the 8-bit Mario stage. What was also disappointing was the ease of getting the comet coins. I came in with the impression that they would be hidden within the stages, and it would be a bit difficult to go around and try to find them, however, this wasn’t the case at all. Most of the comet coins were literally right in front of your face, and you would have to go out of your way to NOT get them. There were 2, maybe 3 of the coins that actually took a little thought to try to find, but other than that, they were seriously in plain view and on your path to the star, and didn’t require any special moves or thought to obtain. I was thinking in some levels, “Oh, maybe it’s hidden behind this planet/boulder where the camera doesn’t show,” or “maybe it’s around this corner that’s out of the way, just below the cliff,” but it turns out, that instead of being cleverly hidden away, it’s right in your path, when you’re flying through the air via a transport star, so you HAVE to get the coin…..yeah. (Ok, it’s not THAT easy, but pretty much).

However, if you do like scouring levels for hidden items, then you’re in luck, as:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPOILER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
once you’ve gotten 120 stars, you unlock the green stars, which double the number of stars on each galaxy. These green stars, unlike regular star challenges, are instead hidden throughout each galaxy and must be found. These are actually pretty hard to find and you’ll be going through every nook and cranny in a level to uncover them. So, these act as those comet coins for me, where you actually have to put forth effort to find them. I was a little bummed out at first to realize that the green stars were merely hidden, instead of like regular stars, where you had to do some action to get, but it still adds more than the original SMG had, and does add a lot of gameplay.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! END SPOILER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will say that if you are completely new to Mario and 3D games in general, then you’ll probably get pretty frustrated with the “difficulty”. Obviously, there is a lot of platforming going on, with jumping around, avoiding/killing enemies, and all sorts of stuff, so if you are new to this kind of thing, you’ll have some major trouble, but as a veteran, I didn’t find it too bad. One issue I did find however, was with the camera. It’s pretty good overall, but there are times when it won’t keep up and won’t track you when circling around a planet or other such task, and then the directional controls get wonky and you’re moving up when holding down, etc, which can be frustrating. This didn’t happen TOO often, but it was definitely noticeable when it did, and confused me a bit, so n00bs would be totally thrown off for these short periods of inconsistency.

The most difficult stars are most definitely the prankster comet ones, as these usually have time constraints and can be purple coin challenges which can take a few tries to master. Luckily though, this means that beginners can usually bypass these stars and still beat the final boss and “beat” the game.

But enough with that, let’s talk about Yoshi!!! He’s so cool, and my best pal, unless I’m playing SMW and have to sacrifice him to get to a tall ledge. Sorry, Yoshi. His appearance in Super Mario Sunshine felt a bit weird, as he would shoot juice out and instantly dissolve in water, which didn’t make any sense, but he is back in true form in Galaxy 2 I felt, even though there are three interesting powers he can gain. The first is a Dash Pepper, which gives you and Yoshi about 10 seconds of super speed where you can run up vertical walls or make a dash through a closing gate. It takes precise movements to control, so can be tricky at first, but not too terrible overall. Another item Yoshi can consume is the Blimp Fruit, which inflates your comrade and allows you to float upwards for a short time. The last is the Bulb Berry, which gives Yoshi the ability to illuminate hidden platforms, however, you can only stand on these platforms while the Bulb Berry is active, so if you run out, even if you where on a platform, you will fall, so be quick about it.

All of these power-ups can be gained by either walking into them or using Yoshi’s tongue to eat, which is done by pointing at the item, seeing a red circle encapsulate it, and pressing the B button. Yoshi can also eat just about every enemy, and sometimes spit them back out as a projectile, which comes in handy. Yoshi also retains his famous flutter jump, and controls just about the same as Mario, except you can’t do a long jump anymore, nor would I assume you could wall jump. Yoshi is a pretty good partner in crime in Galaxy 2, but like the power-ups, you can’t really get him unless you NEED him, which I feel a little odd about. For instance, in Super Mario World, you can get Yoshi fairly often, and keep him to use in other levels if you wished, but you never really NEEDED him. In recent Mario games, you can’t get him unless you NEED him for something. Same with the power-ups. You can never get a starman or fire flower when you don’t NEED it for something. You can’t get one and just mess around and have fun and play a level a different way. You can’t get a cloud suit and explore a level that wasn’t intended to be explored. I understand you wouldn’t want to take Yoshi into a level he wasn’t supposed to be in and completely break the platforming difficulty and the like, but it just seems that you don’t have as much freedom as you could, and it makes levels a bit more linear in a sense.

Galaxy 2 does throw Luigi your way again, with the same semi-different “abilities”, where he is slightly faster, can just slightly higher, and can’t stop worth crap. He first appears in seemingly random galaxies and asks for you to play as him, so he can help his bro find some stars. Playing as Luigi doesn’t unlock new star opportunities, but instead, unlocks ghosts. For every star you collect as Luigi, you unlock a ghost of him, which you can then follow when replaying that star. It’s a nifty little feature, but I think it could have been implemented a bit better. You see, Luigi only appears every so often on random stars, so at first, you can only get ghosts on those levels, beating the rest with Mario. Then, once you beat the final boss for the first time, you unlock the ability to play as Luigi whenever you like, so if you want to get ghosts on all of the stars, you’ll have to replay a lot of the levels, and then play them AGAIN to race/see the ghosts. It seems a little inconvenient.

The level design and variety in Galaxy 2 is pretty superb. Each galaxy, semi-strangely, only has 2-3 stars to grab, and in past games, it’s more like 5 or 6. However, this isn’t a bad thing, as that means there are more environments to explore and play in, and each one feels like a new experience. One galaxy will focus on one gimmick, and the next will have something completely different. It’s obvious the developers had a ton of little ideas they wanted to throw in, and most of them are probably there. You have cloud levels where you have to clear large gaps and go high into the air, rock levels, where you have to roll around, Yoshi levels, and a star for each kind of power-up. You’re always doing something new and different.

The bosses in the game are also fairly creative, although simple enough to kill. This happens to also be the case with the main bosses, which I found disappointing, especially with Bowser. He’s always been the same, where each subsequent encounter features the same moves, but with slightly more difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, the final such encounter still felt a little too simple. I would have hoped for a little more epicness.

In the end though, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is another fantastic Mario game. There are almost 50 new galaxies to explore, 120 main stars to grab, and another 120 to collect after that. There are new suits, Yoshi, a slightly modified co-op experience, and staff ghosts. There is plenty of help for newcomers, with a few helper TVs to give you hints on what to do, and the Rosalina guide to physically guide you through a level. However, these features can be easily ignored by players more familiar with the series, and there is a fair amount of challenge to all gamers. Most definitely a buy if you like games.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Photo Dojo Review

With just ten days left to get it for free, it's about time I finally review Nintendo's latest premiere DSiWare title, Photo Dojo!

What is Photo Dojo? Well, it's one of the few DSiWare titles that actually uses the DSi's extremely-ignored camera features. Taking photos of a friend or even action figures or drawings, you can bring up to eight characters to life, adding sound effects for an amusing but shallow fighting experience. There is an option to photograph yourself, using the front facing camera and setting a timer, but I found this to be a really tedious process because I had to stand so far away from the system that by the time I was actually in frame, I couldn't even tell if I was in the right pose or not. But then I found this form on Nintendo Japan's website:

And thus Pickleman was born. The game itself tells you what each pose is for, so even though I can't actually read the Japanese on the form, I knew what I was doing (i.e. the last two frames are for taunts, or that other face there is the fireball that your character can fire, which I wouldn't have known without the game telling me).

As for the gameplay itself, each character can be placed with one of for different fighting styles, all of which work the same: you walk with the d-pad, and in combination with the d-pad you use any other button to attack. There's a one-player survival mode where you have to defeat 100 opponents in a beat'em-up style fashion, and there's a single system multiplayer, that has each player controlling half of the system, using L or R to attack, and the d-pad or letter buttons to move. As to why there isn't any sort of wireless play that lets DSi owners compete with other peoples fighters is beyond me, but I've had a lot of fun with my own creations at least.

Overall, Photo Dojo is a fun and amusing game, even if it's completely shallow as a fighting game. I can't tell you how many times I've laughed out loud because of the things I've recorded being yelled out by the obnoxious characters I've created. Sure, I got this for free, but after my experience with the game, I'd gladly put down 200 DSi Points for this one.

Overall Score: 8/10

Picross 3D Review

Picross 3D is the newest installment in the puzzler for the Nintendo DS. While I can’t speak about its predecessors, as this is my first Picross game, I can say that I enjoyed it, and like the overall puzzle design.

Picross 3D is the series’ first foray into the three-dimensional realm, and I think it handled the transition very well. You can easily maneuver the camera via the touch screen, as well as use slicers to “cut” into the puzzle. Seeing as how the puzzles are in 3D space, and can be more than a few rows thick, you need to be able to get to those middle sections. This is accomplished via the slicers, which do take a little getting used to. They are easy to control, but conceptually, it can take a minute to wrap your head around.

I felt the slicers were good for what they did, however, I wish they were a little more versatile. There are two of them; one for the X axis and the other for the Z. While it’s obviously not necessary, I wish there was a slicer for the Y axis as well. Also, you can’t slice between the two at the same time, which again, isn’t a serious problem, but I felt at times it could have been useful.

If you are unfamiliar with the game as I was, then there are plenty of tutorials to explain just about all the game has to offer, starting with the very basics. It explains the numbers on the blocks, and how they refer to how many blocks are in that row, column, or….other row. Get rid of the blocks that aren’t needed, and discover the figure hidden in the cubes. There are also a few types of numbers. Regular numbers indicate that all of the necessary blocks are in a single group, all connected. Circled numbers on the other hand, are in two groups, with at least one space between them, while square numbers are in three or more groups. This is very useful information in figuring out which blocks are needed, and which ones aren’t, and the tutorials go over a few strategies to help you succeed.

When you have decided which blocks need to stay and which need to go, marking or destroying them is very simple. To smash a block to pieces, simply hold up on the d-pad and tap the block; to mark it, hold right on the d-pad and tap the block. Like I said, very easy to do, but don’t get in too much of a rush and forget which is which and accidently smash one you wanted to mark. Another handy feature in smashing blocks is the ability to hold down on a row or column and smash through the entire row. This mostly comes to use with those marked with a 0, meaning none of them are in the final image. Unfortunately, this can’t be done for marking an entire row, which is a bit odd.

Levels are set up with 8 puzzles, plus 2 bonus puzzles that you can unlock if you gain enough stars. You can get 3 stars per puzzle; one for completing the puzzle, one for doing so within a time constraint, and another for completing the puzzle without any mistakes. Each of the puzzles in the easy difficulty levels had a time constraint of 5 or 10 minutes, with a total time of around 30-45 minutes. If you can’t complete the puzzle within the latter time, then you completely fail and have to restart the puzzle. Also, if you make more than 5 mistakes, you must also restart the puzzle. A mistake is trying to break a block that is needed in the image, and you are alerting of this at the time you try to break the block. Each subsequent puzzle is a bit harder than the last, but when you start a new level, the difficulty goes back down, which is nice. For instance, the starting puzzles in a level are usually 2D, while the last puzzles are in 3D and have multiple rows of columns.

After you complete the puzzle, the hidden figure goes through a little cutesy animation, and is then put in a collection, which will get filled with other themed figures you discover in other puzzles. These collections can be viewed from the main menu, but aren’t interactive. There are also animations you can unlock, which are like little cut scenes with various figures, and seem pretty arbitrary and odd.

The real bonus in the game is the ability to create and download new puzzles. Nintendo is planning to put up new puzzles for gamers to download every week or so, so there’s always something new to look forward to. You can also download other users’ puzzles, as well as create your own. The tool for doing so is very simple to use, and almost exactly like the one used to solve a puzzle. You can mark and delete blocks the same way, as well as add blocks by holding left on the d-pad and tapping the side of a block where you want the new one to be placed. You can also color each block, as well as put an eye on them, if you wanted it to be a person or animal.

One thing I found a bit odd with Picross 3D was how the difficulty was set up and unlocked. It makes sense that beginners would want to work their way from easy to hard, and progress in order, however, this isn’t an option, but a requirement. You only have one level to start with, and then unlock the next when you’ve completed the level entirely. It’s only when you’ve completed all of the levels in a difficulty that you unlock the next difficulty. You can’t choose to skip easy and go straight to normal or hard. So, veterans of the series may have to work through 100 or more puzzles before they get to something that they find challenging.

Another minor complaint is the music. Each level features one song, so you’ll hear the same tune through 10 puzzles, and if you have to restart the puzzle a few times, it can get a little annoying. I found this particularly true in one level, where I first realized this fact about the music, and it became very, very irritating. Otherwise though, the music is very soothing and peaceful and won’t distract or bother you, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you preferred to turn on something else for some background noise.

Also, and this fact can’t be helped, but it seems a little bizarre to me how you can do very poorly in a puzzle, get one star for completing it, but take 30 minutes to do so and make four or five mistakes just randomly guessing; then, figure out the shape, restart the puzzle, and complete it and get all 3 stars. There isn’t much that can be done about this, but they could have had a history of each puzzle, like a high score list, so you can see how you fared the first time you did it, and the second time, etc.

There are over 350 puzzles, plus the extra ones Nintendo will add on via DLC, so there is plenty of content. There are also a few “special” puzzles, which place unique constraints on you, such as not being able to make a single mistake, or placing a special time limit on you, which don’t really add much to the game or work to break up the monotony, but they’re there. Also, you can unlock a “Random” setting, in which you can get a random puzzle. You can set which difficulty(ies) it’s from, as well as set a time constraint and number of mistakes allowed.

Overall, I think Picross 3D is a pretty good package. It’s bargained priced at $20 USD, comes with a ton of puzzles, and is easy enough for everyone to enjoy. Not to say that there isn’t plenty of difficulty, as I’m only in the normal difficulty as of now, and those are starting to give me serious trouble. If you like puzzles like Sudoku, then I think you would really enjoy this game. The concept is simple and easy to grasp, but the puzzles can get complicated, so it has a nice balance to it. And once you get done with the puzzles, you can make your own, and even enter them in contests, which is pretty cool.

Overall Score: 8/10

Game & Watch Collection 2 Review

Following in the footsteps of the first Club Nintendo exclusive game, Game & Watch Collection, comes ... what else? Game & Watch Collection 2. But, unlike the first collection, which emulated three of the Game & Watch's dual-screen games, this collection only features two single-screen games, Octopus and Parachute, and a new game that combines the two, Parachute X Octopus. Knowing this, should you still put down you hard earned 800 Coins for this? Or should you hold out and wait for other Club Nintendo prizes?

The only thing I would like to mention is the new interface. The first game had a very plain and boring menu system, that while stay true to the aesthetic of the Game & Watch games, was still just unappealing. But this second one takes a different route, and has the look and music as if it was something out of The Legendary Starfy series. Obviously this doesn't make up for the poor selection of just two classic games (and a third that just combines the two) for the steep price of 800 Coins, but it was something I liked at least. If anything, I'd of liked to see New/Old version of the games in this style, akin to the old Game & Watch Gallery games with Mario characters.

Parachute
When you select this game or the following, there's something you'll notice right away: the top screen is wasted. The previous collection's use of both screens was neat, because you could have never played those games like that unless you actually had them. But with this, you really have to wonder why it's even on the DS.

The premise of Parachute is simple (as one would expect from a Game & Watch title), a helicopter tosses out characters, and it's up to you to catch them in your boat. It's definitely one of the most fun Game & Watch games around, and once I got the hang of it I kept trying to best my scores, but when the cart only has this and another game it feels a bit like a ripoff.

Octopus
While I may have really liked Parachute, Octopus has always been a Game & Watch title that I hated. I'm not sure if it's the difficulty, or the limitations of the Game & Watch interface, or that big stupid octopus that's always there, but I've just never been able to get into this one. And being that it's just one of two games on this collection, makes me question why I even got this ... and then I realized it was because I didn't feel like wasting my Coins on paper goods...

Parachute X Octopus
And then there's the "new" Game & Watch game, Parachute X Octopus. Sadly, as the name suggests, it's just a combination of the two games already on this collection, and not an entirely new Game & Watch set up. And to make things worse, the game never truly uses both screens as it may look. Instead you start off with a game of Parachute on top, and after a certain number of rescues, you go down and grab some treasure while evading the tentacles in Octopus, and repeat. So basically you're just alternating between both games on the collection, just without having to go through menus, and you only have three strikes between both games. It's not overly fun, and really shouldn't even be called new.

Final Thoughts
What made the first Club Nintendo Game & Watch Collection neat was that for the first time ever, those three dual-screen Game & Watch titles could be emulated to play as they were intended, which would have been impossible in the four Game & Watch Gallery titles that had released for the different Game Boy platforms. With this second collection, you're getting only two games, both of which have been featured in nearly every Game & Watch compilation, and could've easily been made available via DSiWare like a lot of other Game & Watch titles have been recently. The 'new' inclusion doesn't even warrant a purchase, because it's just the two games alternating from one screen to another. Sure there's some collector's value with this, but then again, there's nothing much else to spend 800 coins on, so the choice is yours.

Overall Score: 6/10

Grill Off with Ultra Hand! Review

This and the next Club Nintendo review should have been posted over a month ago when they were first released, but alas, real life hit and I had other priorities. So here is the first of what's to be many reviews this month. Grill Off with Ultra Hand! is the first of hopefully many Club Nintendo exclusive WiiWare titles, and goes for just 80 Coins, the cheapest reward available from the North American program as of now. But it's not the truly first WiiWare title available from the service, as the real first, Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!, was available for Platinum members last year.

Background
Grill Off with Ultra Hand! is a WiiWare game featuring one of Nintendo's earliest creations, the Ultra Hand, an extending toy that allowed you to grab objects from a distance. It has since appeared in numerous games, mainly in the WarioWare titles, but this marks its first starring appearance since the toy's original release.


Gameplay
There really isn't that much to this game, and for 80 Coins, I guess I'm not supposed to expect much. There are two modes, Single Player and Vs. Play, but each basically play the same. You use the Wiimote and nunchuck just as you would hold the actual Ultra Hand toy, twisting them at the same time in a hedge-clipper like motion. Doing this makes the on-screen Ultra Hand grab a piece of meat, place it on the barbeque, and then grab it again to put on a plate. The single player is an endless mode of this, competing on a leaderboard for the highest score, where as the versus mode (only two players) has both players competing for the best score in a 90 second time limit. And overall, the experience isn't very enjoyable or long lasting. If you'd like to see it yourself before dropping 80 Coins on this, check the game's official website.

Final Thoughts
Unlike Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!, there's nothing overly exclusive about Grill Off with Ultra Hand!. Exclusive as in, it's not a case where you have only 30 days to claim your prize and that's the only chance you'll ever get to actually get the game, where there would be a feeling of exclusivity when you take the chance of redeeming the game. Sure, it's exclusive to Club Nintendo, but you can get it whenever, and even read/watch reviews before saying, "I actually want to waste my 80 Coins". In my case, I just had an ever-growing amount of coins and nothing worthwhile to spend them on, so 80 didn't seem like much of a risk; too bad I'll never touch this game again.

Overall Score: 3/10

Late Night Flickr Update

Hey there, it's been quite a long time since we put the Flickr account to use, so I just put up to images. First off, my Encom Employee Badge:

You can still get one of these for yourself by visiting the TRON Legacy viral site, Flynn Lives, play the Arcade Aid game, and then register for the free badge. Once it arrives you can use it to access Encom's website. It's really simple, and the badge arrives quickly. Quite a neat piece of movie swag.

This one's pretty obvious, it's the sequel to the previous Club Nintendo exclusive Game & Watch Collection. I've yet to play it, but I'll review it once I do, just like the last one.

Greatest Boxart Ever?

This would have been posted this afternoon, had I not run into the Great VFH Destruction of 3/22/10 while looking for boxart... Anyways, I was browsing Nintendo's press site this afternoon, taking a look at this week's digital releases when I saw that Treasure's Sin & Punishment 2 (now called Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, ew...) was finally on the upcoming releases list. So I clicked, and what did I find? This beauty:

I might not be a fan of the name change, but hot damn, Nintendo at least got the boxart right. I honestly can't think of any games in recent memory that went the route of not slapping the lead character(s) in the center of the package, or using a color pallet of about four colors. This just goes completely against the norm and it's absolutely stunning.

Just to compare, here's a collection of boxart for top-notch games, with not so exciting boxart:

Just look at these for instance, all reasonably high-profile games, and yet all their boxart is either made up a limited color selection, or the main character is HUGE and generally in the center. And then Sin & Punishment: Star Successor shows up, comepletely breaking the formula, and it's gorgeous. As I lover of the first game (thank you Virtual Console) I look forward to the sequel when it releases this June.

Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Review

It hasn’t been too long since Phantom Hourglass released on the DS, but Nintendo has decided to give us gamers a second dose of the famous hero with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The game follows the same basic formula of Phantom Hourglass and previous Zelda titles, but there are definitely a few things that set it apart and make it another great adventure.

Spirit Tracks opens up like previous Zelda titles with a bit of back-story and introduction of the world and its characters. A long time ago, the Demon King Malladus tried to take over the world, but the spirits of good, after a long battle, managed to subdue the beast and trap him under the Tower of Spirits. Now, Zelda’s Chancellor, Cole, is plotting to resurrect the Demon King using the princess’ own body and Link must stop him, and save Zelda and Hyrule, yet again.

The game takes place around 50 years after Phantom Hourglass, as one character makes a cameo, and relatives of others are present, so while this is a new Link and Zelda, it is still in the same time frame, although that isn’t very important. What is worthy of note, is how similar Spirit Tracks is to Phantom Hourglass, in terms of gameplay. As it is on the same platform, the controls and look and feel of the game are nearly identical to Phantom Hourglass. You still control Link via the touch screen, which works as well as it did previously, although it doesn’t allow for using weapons and moving at the same time, which is disappointing. So you have to trace the boomerang’s path while standing still, etc, but this was also true of the last game.

Your ship and sea have been traded in for a train and tracks. While this doesn’t allow for free range movement, as you are limited to the predefined tracks, there is still ample to explore and look at while traveling, and the game rewards you for doing so. So, while you are bound to your tracks, you can shoot boulders with your cannon to earn some extra rupees, and even find some bunnies, which is one of the more noticeable and entertaining side quests. There are ten rabbits scattered in each of the five regions of the game, and if you collect them all, first by finding them and then by using a net to capture them, you receive a few rewards, some more valuable and cool than others.

Also, enemies will attack you, so you must defend yourself, and there are certain obstacles that must be avoided, so careful planning and quick thinking are needed when riding the tracks. There are lots of forks and paths to take, and choosing a path is very simple. You can draw a route first to make these decisions automatically, but you can always change your mind on the fly and choose to take a different path. You start out with a rather limited set of tracks to ride, but as you progress, you unlock new regions to explore, and more and more tracks will reappear as you complete side quests and help citizens of the land, so there is a good incentive to explore and talk to people.

Similarly to Phantom Hourglass again, you can upgrade your train with various parts and cars. You can’t really add on to your train, but instead exchange parts. This is done by visiting a relative of that smarmy Linebeck and trading him trinkets you find during your travels for the train cars. These don’t really add anything to the game, per say, but they can be fun to collect and exchange if you want to give your ride a new look.

Aside from riding the lines, which is still too slow in my opinion, even though there are numerous teleportation spots, you have the main game still, which includes the dungeon crawling, boss whomping, and puzzle solving that you’ve enjoyed for forever. There are a lot of things that you will find familiar, like some of the enemies and overall artwork and look, just like Phantom Hourglass. Luckily though, there are some new weapons and items in the game, and some pretty cool gameplay mechanics I was surprised about. One new weapon is the whip, which is pretty cool to just look at and whip random things. It lends itself well as a tool, but not so much a weapon. There are other mechanics though, like the ability to freeze water by boomeranging a cold flame to make a path, which I found particularly surprising, inventive, and neat. I think you could use ice arrows to freeze water in a 3D Zelda game of some sort, but it just seemed special here.

There are five dungeons to explore, plus another in the Tower of Spirits. Within these, the bosses are pretty well designed and the fights use the weapons well. None of them are particularly difficult, which is unfortunate, but the tactics used are inventive and fun, and there are even some cool, true 3D moments. The Tower of the Spirits acts as Spirit Tracks’ Temple of the Ocean King, out of Phantom Hourglass. You have to return to this tower numerous times in your journey to unlock new sections of the track so you can visit new regions and dungeons. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the same areas multiple times, as new floors are unlocked, and there is a stair case that allows you to bypass previous sections. Also, there is no time limit, so you don’t have to be bothered with that either.

As Zelda’s spirit is traveling with you on your journey to save the land and her body, she lends a hand, even though a bit unwilling at first. She has the ability to inhabit the bodies of phantoms. So, like in Phantom Hourglass, you can also control a phantom, and do things like jump on his shield to get through fire pits and the like. There are various types of phantoms, each with their own abilities, so there is about one section of the game where this becomes important, but obviously, the different uses are important in their own way. The mechanic works just about as well as in the previous title, but I found Zelda’s AI to be pretty terrible. She would have trouble finding you when you called her to your side, and would even go through sand pits, which she can’t cross, causing her to sink, when there was a perfectly good bridge two steps to her right. It was very bothersome.

Overall, Spirit Tracks is another great entry in the series. While it is very similar to the look and feel of Phantom Hourglass, there is still plenty of new content to enjoy, and any true fan won’t think twice about picking this one up. The main adventure is fun and enjoyable, and the side quests are engaging as well, so you will find yourself searching for those rabbits and looking for the stamp booths, and talking to people to unlock more tracks and find new stations to visit. There is plenty to do in the game, and while it goes fast at the beginning, it has a decent length. Like most Zelda games, it isn’t that difficult, so veterans can complete it with relative ease, but it’s still a good adventure and with the new mechanics, makes for a fun ride. (Oh, and there's some battle mode too, but I never tried it...only local though it would seem.)

Overall Score: 8.8/10

Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! review

Following the Game & Watch Collection, Nintendo releases another exclusive game through its North American Club Nintendo program, however unlike the aforementioned game this downloadable title can't be earned via the programs Coins; instead was available exclusively to 2009 Platinum status club members... like myself.

Now, because you can't actually get this title unless you have say a friend who earned Platinum status, got this instead of the Mario hat, and then doesn't want the game... but we're not talking technicalities here. Instead, I'm just going to give an overview of the game, in the absence of a proper video feature.

Gamplay
If you've played Next Level Games' actual Punch-Out!! game for Wii, then this Doc Louis version isn't going to feel any different. In fact, the only control difference between the two games is the absence of Balance Board support (but I don't have a board so, quite frankly, I'm not missing the feature). But, peripheral support isn't the only thing missing... think of Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! as a Punch-Out!! demo, with a new opposing character, and could only be appreciated by Punch-Out!! fans.

The game offers three modes of play, all single-player, and more or less the same. The first is Warm-Up, which is slow paced and meant to make you familiar with Doc Louis's move-set and visual cues. It will go by quick, but that's a good thing for one reason... which I'll get to later.

The next mode is Training, which is a standard three-round boxing match against Doc, not unlike the matches you'll encounter in the actual Punch-Out!! game for Wii. In terms of difficulty, Doc's an average character, if you time your moves right with his visual cues than it's a simple match, but if you're not quick to react you may find yourself in Training for awhile.

The last mode, Sparring, is unlocked by completing both Warm Up and Training. And before I get to that, here's why I'm glad Warm-Up is easy and short, because despite the channel-file itself being 143 blocks of Wii memory, Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! itself doesn't have an actual save file. So yes, that means every time you want to start Sparring, you have to beat the other two modes first, which is kind of annoying. Essentially what Sparring is, is another standard three-round fight, but this time Doc Louis can use Star Punch, which instantly KOs you. It's difficult but, those looking for a tough Punch-Out!! battle should be pleased.

Overall Thoughts
Other than the three game modes, there really isn't anything else to this game. If you enjoyed Punch-Out!! but after all this time you felt like punching a new fighter in the face, then this should've been the reward for you. And who wouldn't want a game where you punch Doc Louis's chocolate bar out of his hands, and he still says, "Thanks for joining Club Nintendo, Mac."

Overall Score: 6.5/10

I CRUSH YOU! With a Nintendo DSi LL

Yes, the rumors you may have heard elsewhere were true. Nintendo (of Japan at least) will be releasing yet another iteration of the Nintendo DS. This time however, things are a little different... instead of making a slimmer sleeker system, Nintendo decided to take the already slim and quite nice DSi model... and made it larger (yes, believe it or not) but adding 4 inch screens to the device, a pen-like stylus, and giving it a classy set of colors (Wine Red, Dark Brown, and Natural White).

As you can see from this helpful image I made for you (from material on the system's official website of course), the DSi LL really topples the DSi in sheer size, not to mention how much it outsizes the DS lite (whose screens are already smaller than the standard DSi).

I'm still not sure why this seems like a good idea though. Perhaps it's because I'm not an old person and I'm quite pleased with the size of my DSi, but I just don't see the practicality in 1) releasing another DS model so soon after the latest, and 2) releasing such a large system targeted a what I think is a niche market. Someone should tell Nintendo that people stopped liking massive portable systems when Game Gear failed. I seriously think this will go the way of the Game Boy Light and never hit US shores.

Visit Nintendo of Japan's Official Nintendo DSi LL website for more info

UPDATE! Looks like the system is, for whatever reason, actually coming to North America and Europe some time next year. However in both regions, the system will be called the Nintendo DSi XL; apparently LL is the Japanese equivalent of XL on say, t-shirt labels. This looks like one Nintendo handheld I'll actually refrain from buying.

Here's your Club Nintendo rewards for 2009

Earned over 300 or 600 coins on Club Nintendo this year? Or if you're like me, and decided to earn over 1300 instead? Expecting something really cool as your reward? Well, today the rewards were announced..

Yes, Platinum members can CHOOSE between either a downoadable Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! game, or a Mario hat (which was actually offered in Japan back in the day as a standard Club Nintendo item). Gold members have no choice, instead they get a calendar, just like Club Nintendo members in Japan do.

To say the least, I'm more than underwhelmed, but I don't think I have any use for a big plush Mario hat, so I think I'm just going to go for the Punch-Out!! download (which by the way, doesn't require you to have the new Punch-Out!! game). Though, it really just sounds like an exclusively designed demo... Let's hope next year is better, and I don't waste all my coins again. That or let's hope there's better everyday items available soon.

Club Nintendo members must redeem their rewards by August 11th, 2009!!

Rewards will be sent out by November 1, 2009; yes, even the download codes.

The Legendary Starfy review

After seven years of being exclusive to Japan, TOSE's Starfy franchise finally arrives in North America with the fifth game in the series (and the second for Nintendo DS). Has Starfy's arrival been worth the wait, or should this series have stayed in Japan?

Story
Being the first game in the series to not have a number in the Japanese title (it's known there as Densetsu no Starfy Taiketsu! Daiiru Kaizokudan) The Legendary Starfy thankfully doesn't require new players to series to know the entire back story of the character or the world he inhabits, though it wouldn't hurt to know.

The original Densetsu no Starfy (released in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance) dealt with Starfy falling from his home in the sky, Pufftop Palace, and landing in the ocean where he is assumed to be a starfish. So just wanting to clear that u for you, that despite the gameplay taking place underwater and revolving around sea creatures, Starfy himself is actually a star, not a starfish.

The Legendary Starfy opens up with the titular hero relaxing in his home in Pufftop, when all the the sudden a mysterious, rabbit-like creature falls from the sky and awakens Starfy; but the two find out they are not alone. After a quick scuffle, the creature escapes to the ocean and Starfy goes after him to see what's going on. You soon learn his name to be Bunston, but because of the fall his memory isn't all there, and it's up to Starfy to help Bunston recover his memory and stop an oncoming threat.

Gameplay
Being that the game centers around aquatic life, it should come as no surprise that 80% of the game will take place underwater. Thankfully, unlike most platformers, the time you spend in the water here is the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Unlike Mario or Kirby, the water is where Starfy belongs, and so it's here that he can move faster and more agile, have better attacks, and so forth. Out of the water, Starfy is reasonably slow, though if you hold the Y button his eyes will burst from his head and he'll scurry around at a faster pace. Otherwise, Starfy plays like the average platformer, you have nine unique worlds, each with 5 or so sub-levels and some unlockable secret levels and mini-games as well.

To aid Starfy, this time around at select parts of the game, you can combine with Bunston to play as four different creatures, each with their own unique abilities. They add a nice change to the gameplay, and each can be leveled up which adds to the replayablity to some levels where you could not obtain something prior. However, a couple of these combinations are obtained late in the game, and are only used a few times, making the inclusion of them feel pretty useless and only necessary for completists.

However there is more to the game than just platforming by yourself, as The Legendary Starfy introduces co-op to the series. At certain levels in the game, and more specifically, the boss battles, you will be asked if you would like to play with a friend. By selecting either single-card (DS Download Play) or multi-card play, a second player can join in the game as Starfy's sister, Starly, who plays similar to her brother, but has a few extra moves that will allow her to access extra points that Starfy won't be able to. Though, don't be scared, you will never be required to connect with another gamer in order to beat the game 100%.

Also included for you to play are five mini games, of which can be played alone or with single/multi cart play. They obviously aren't the focus of the game, but they're a nice distraction from the regular gameplay and are about the only time you'll ever need to use the touchscreen. The game also offers so extras like dress-up items for Starfy and Starly, journal entries from various characters to read, a video gallery of all the cutscenes you've seen, and more to be unlocked after you finish the game.

Graphics
The first thing I noticed when playing The Legendary Starfy was just how eye-poppingly colorful it was; and with the larger, brighter screens on my Nintendo DSi it looks even better. To compare, I played the game on my old DS Phat, and it just doesn't even compare, this game deserves to be played on a DSi or DS lite.

As for the graphics themselves, the stages and character sprites are all 2D, however the stage backgrounds and occasional bosses will be 3D. Some later levels, which require you to raise and lower the water levels, benefit greatly from the added depth of the 3D backgrounds, and overall the game has a great sense of style. Aiding to the style is the usage of both screens, which typically will display one of four hint screens (you choose which to display); however, occasionally a part of a level will have a character on the lower screen that affects the gameplay on the top screen. I found the lower screen sprites the amuse me more so than intimidate me, and I only wish there was more of the dual-screen gameplay included.

Oddly enough, some of the best 3D modeling I've seen on the DS comes from the game's more or less, useless dress up mode. Hidden around the game are treasure chests that may contain clothing items to dress Starfy and Starly with, and you can then view them in a full 360º mode. The level of detail and smoothness was highly surprising, and I'd say the models are on a middle-grade PS2 level; but in the end, they don't do anything besides sit on the pause screen, so it's a lost cause sadly (albeit an amusing to look at one).

The last graphical aspect is something that really bothered me. While everything is colorful, clean, and sprite-based, the cutscenes are not. They look like they were initially made via sprites, but they are actually compressed videos, and sadly the compression on the videos stands out. I just feel it's unfortunate that such a pretty game has to have such ugly compression on otherwise delightful comic-style cutscenes.

Sound
The soundtrack to Starfy isn't the shining aspect of the game by any means, but there are wide array of fun and catchy tunes to be heard. If anything greatly improves from sound it's the character of Starfy himself; I don't think I can count how many times it put a smile on my face to hear his "WEEEEEEEE!" squeals during cutscenes and character chats, especially when paired with the game's overly cute art style. I think the sound alone brings more life to Starfy as a character more so than the fully 3D version of him from Super Smash Bros. Brawl ever will, even though his whole purpose in that game was to be beaten up... poor guy.

Final Thoughts
I think it's safe to say that I was more than ecstatic when Nintendo announced that Starfy was finally hit North American shores. After waiting seven years, and finally being able to play through one of the games, I can say that I am more than pleased; enough to say that I have a new favorite character to look for on Nintendo systems. Starfy's overall cuteness may not hit a note with hardcore gamers, but The Legendary Starfy is definitely a platformer that anyone can enjoy. Here's to hoping the previous four games make it here someday!

Overall Score: 9/10

For more on The Legendary Starfy, visit Starfy.com