3, 2, 1, Go!!! The Mario Kart for the new
handheld is here. Supports no glasses 3D, 8-player online races, 16 new tracks,
and 3 brand new items. Coin collecting from the SNES title is back and better
than ever. The number of racers are back to eight, but customizable karts are
in. Eight cups with three difficulties are still here. New features using the
3DS Street Pass and Spot Pass functions are here as well. Nice package for such
a new system.
Like most Mario Karts, there are eight cups.
Four support nothing but new tracks with air and water sections. Some of the
new tracks aren’t your classic 3 lap races. Instead, they are marathon races.
Check points in the track signify how close you are to the finish. The other
four cups are nothing but old tracks from the rich history of Mario Kart games,
with added elements. The old water hazards are gone because you can race
underwater, offering new ways to race on classic maps.
Coins play a big part in Mario Kart 7. Some
veterans of the Mario Kart series might remember how, in the
original, you could collect coins to go faster. It doesn’t work like that
anymore. Now the coins you collect help unlock new parts for your customizable
karts. You don’t get to buy them or even know how much you need to save up in
order to unlock them, but it happens. On the easier difficulties, it was easy
to finish every race with max coins. On 150cc, I’m having trouble holding onto
even five coins.
The difficulty has really gone up. The AI is more aggressive
and I don’t remember that many blue shells being in a single race before. The
items are relentless, get hit by one and end up in the back of the pack. Lucky
Number 7 is the biggest addition to the items. Basically, it gives you a mix of
7 different items to use. If racing AI isn’t what you are into, then try out
the online side. In Mario Kart DS, you had to do four races
with four people to raise your rank. In Mario Kart 7, your
rank is affected after every race and races can be up to eight players. It
helps for when you don’t have much time and just want a quick race.
Mario Kart 7 is fun. Mixes the best of all past Mario
Karts to make this the best experience so far. That being said, it
doesn’t change the game. There are new and old tracks within eight different
cups just like all other Mario Kart games. Still supports
50cc, 100cc, 150cc, and Mirror for difficulties. Only 3 new items add very
little to the gameplay. The air and underwater elements are fun but aren’t
enough to make it feel new. It is just a more perfected version of Mario
Kart DS. With the slim picking of 3DS content, Mario Kart 7 will keep you
busy until Kid Icarus or Luigi’s Mansion2 comes
out.
Get ready to kick some goblins in the NUTS. After you’re
finished trashing the Republican Presidential Debates, you should sit down and
play some Trine 2! Trine was released a couple
years ago on the PC with stellar graphics and satisfying combat. The game was
pretty well received and offered a new look to the classic genre of 2D action
titles. With the promise of online multiplayer (a feature only available
offline in the first), Trine 2 went into production looking
better than ever. The time has come to throw down 15 dollars and once again
enjoy 2D action at a quality that is second to none.
The adventure begins reiterating the function of an artifact
called the Trine. It has the ability to link the souls of 3 people, allowing
each one to live as long as the others are still kickin’. In this case (same as
the first), a thief, a knight, and a wizard are joined by the mysterious relic
to save their kingdom from… darkness or whatever. Each person can only exist
physically one at a time, allowing the player to switch between each character
and their abilities. If you’re playing co-op, all three can exist at once. The
story doesn’t really explain this, but I don’t question how the hell two Master
Chiefs are possible either.
The story is light and no one should care. This game is
about leveling up, solving puzzles, and exploring beautiful environments.
Thankfully for all of us, Trine 2 nails most of these.
In this shit kicking fiesta, dead enemies reward you with
XP, but the game doesn’t hand it out like candy. XP is present in the form of
collectable bottles that can be found on evil corpses, but not every baddy will
drop one. However, XP bottles can also be found in random nooks and crannies
around the environment that might require a little creative exploring or puzzle
solving to obtain. This is quite ingenious because it encourages you to explore
the gorgeous scenery knowing there could be a gem towards leveling up behind
any alcove. Every 50 XP bottles earns you a skill point to be spent on one of
the character’s skill trees.
Each character plays differently: The wizard can conjure up
boxes to help get across gaps, The thief can shoot arrows and use a grappling
hook, and the knight can really murder the hell out of some minions with a good
old fashioned sword and shield. There is a separate skill tree for each, but
they’re all relatively small and haven’t changed much since the last game. The
wizard can be upgraded to conjure more boxes, the knight can get a more
powerful sword and shield, and the thief can unlock icy, fiery, and explosive
arrows. Each one can unlock these traits (and more) to help complete the
challenge at hand. It’s kind of a shame there isn’t much for people who already
saw it all in the first trine, but the small skill trees fit the shorter length
of the game (about 8 hours) and are still fun to unlock and unleash on some
nincompoops.
Every new skill you unlock also helps you with the many
puzzles peppered (more like peppered and then the cap fell off) in the
environment. Unfortunately, this is the weakest part of the game by far. Each
puzzle I completed made me feel like I was doing it “the wrong way.” I don’t
know if there is a sure fire way to complete every brainteaser, but each one
lacked the “ah-ha” moment present in every quality puzzle title. I felt like
every challenge was barely solved with a lot of luck and a little craziness.
I was also surprised all the solutions involved skills you
unlock via XP. I often wondered what would’ve happened if I had decided to
choose something else on my skill tree. However, I found hints of other ways to
solve each puzzle using different abilities. I appreciate the talent required
to design every puzzle in a way where anyone can solve it no matter what skills
they chose, but the puzzles themselves lacked intrigue and satisfaction to the
point where they were nearly pointless. It wouldn’t be a problem if the puzzles
were few and far between, but as I said earlier, the game lays them on thick,
sometimes rewarding you for solving a puzzle with another puzzle.
The graphics in this game are phenomenal! Trine was
a beautiful game and if there’s one thing they topped themselves on, it’s
visuals. Not only is every detail perfect, but almost every type of weather and
topographical feature you can think of is represented in the game. You’ll be
fighting enemies in icy mountains, lavish jungles, and dark claustrophobic
dungeons. Each location is breathtaking, and before you can breathe again, the
game throws you another gorgeous set piece to knock the wind out of you again.
One of my favorite levels includes swimming under water in order to dodge the
storm of thunder and rain above. The water illuminates ever so slightly on
every strike, revealing flashes of the ocean life you’re swimming with. It’s
jizz in my pants material. It’s been a long time since I can remember graphics
this good in a 2D adventure and very well might be because it’s the best.
Trine 2 offers an experience every gamer should enjoy. The
puzzles are a bit shoddy and the skill trees leave something to be desired, but
its combat is satisfying, the exploration is wondrous, and the graphics are
damn sexy. The game also includes a few extra features like online co-op, which
is essentially the same experience with a couple other friends playing the
other characters. It makes puzzles a little easier to solve and you can tell
the developers made this game with co-op in mind. You can even plug in an extra
keyboard (or 360 controller) and kick some ass offline. It may be on the low
end of an A, but this game deserves to be played. Get the republican nuts off
your foot and enjoy Trine 2!
The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is here. It
has been a long wait. Twilight Princess came out as a Wii
launch title. People wanted to swing Link’s sword with the Wii Remote but Twilight
Princess didn’t deliver. It was basically a port of the GameCube
version, and they only added some features that used the Motion. The sword was
just a waggle to swing and you would occasionally point at the screen to aim
your Bow, Slingshot, and Hook Shot. That was about it. The Wii Motion Plus was
our next hope for complete control over the Master Sword. Finally, Skyward
Sword is here making all my, and maybe your, dreams come true.
Showing off the unique controls at E3 2010 and 2011 made a
lot of people worried it would be to childish and destroy what made Zeldaspecial.
Don’t worry, these controls work. The controls bring all the different items
and tools to life. The sword uses the motion controls more than anything else.
With the 1:1 motion, it’s like your holding the sword in your hand. The added
weight of the Wii Motion Plus attachment on older Wii remotes might help with
the illusion. With using precise swings of your sword, you can tear through
enemies. Not correctly matching your moves with your enemies’ weaknesses will
cause you to lose health.
Flying your Loftwing, swimming underwater, and free falling
in the sky are all controlled by the Wii Remote. While flying your Loftwing,
you can tilt the Wii Remote left and right to turn, tilt forward to dive and
gain speed, and fling the Wii Remote up to climb. A is used for a speed boost
like older Zelda games while riding Epona. Swimming underwater
controls similar to flying your Loftwing. Tilting forward causes you to dive
and pointing left or right moves you in those directions. Free falling is
controlled slightly different. Simply tilt in the direction you want to fall.
The motion controls are also used for the items you collect.
First there is the Slingshot. Not much new. Just aim on screen where you want
to shoot. The Beetle has you using the Wii Remote like you are directing it
where to go. Be careful, fly it too far away or too high up and it will stop
and return to you. The Bug Net is back. This item hasn’t been seen in a console Zelda since A
Link to the Past and plays a big part in upgrading your weapons,
potions, and shields. Different upgrades will require different bugs or relics.
Almost every item can be upgraded. Shields can be made
stronger so they don’t break as easy. They also look cooler the higher they are
upgraded. The Beetle, after a free upgrade later in the story, can be upgraded
to move faster. The Slingshot’s upgrade can make the seeds scatter, almost like
a shotgun, to do more damage. Health potions can be given an extra boost to
replenish more hearts. You don’t get to upgrade your sword, except through the
story. Might be a missed opportunity, but I don’t know what they could have
upgraded with it. All these upgrades might change how often you use the item,
but it doesn’t change overall gameplay.
Skyward Sword’s core is like most Zelda games
with a focus on exploration and combat. Finding little tricks to destroy
enemies faster is key. In Skyward Sword, it’s about using
items to your advantage. You use the Beetle to cut the stems on the Deku Baba
plants to kill them instantly and the Whip to pull enemies closer or take items
from them. Using all your items efficiently will make this adventure easier. The
exploration elements are enhanced with sprint and the energy meter. Doing to
much in a short amount of time will cause Link to slow down or let go of a
ledge. There are also beacons you can set on the map to find those beautiful
areas easier.
The graphic style is something I have never seen before.
It’s the perfect mix of the serious graphics of Twilight Princess and
the cartoon graphics of Wind Waker. Faces and characters work very
well with the visuals. Characters are more dynamic than any Zelda before.
In the beginning, the relationship between Link and Zelda tugs at your
heartstrings and makes you really care about her. The story is immersive and
keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Ghirahim is a very intense villain. He toys with you. He
beats you. He does a weird tongue thing. I want to stop him. There are villains
you hate because you have to. There are villains hate because they are evil.
Ghirahim is the latter. He is always going after Zelda, trying to capture her
to free the Dark Lord. Ghirahim is smart but cocky. Your first battle with him
doesn’t really work out in your favor but you get your point across, Link is
not to be messed with.
As a Zelda game, Skyward Sword is
the best. As just a game, Skyward Sword is amazing. It
properly uses motion controls and tells a story so unique and amazing it can
only be told like this. Everything in this game is mixed together so well I was
blown away. Nothing felt unnecessary. I want to thank everyone at Nintendo and
everyone that has ever worked on aZelda game. In all my years of
gaming I have never imagined a game could be this close to perfection (Nothing
is Ever Perfect).
That’s right. The 3DS has updated adding many new features.
There is a new application that came with the update as well. Nintendo Zone
seems like what Nintendo tried to do with the download stations in stores. (Did
anyone use those?) You can go to participating stores and access free and
exclusive content. It doesn’t really blow my hair back, and I don’t know of
anywhere near me that is “participating.”
Now recording 3D video is finally here. You
can record up to 10 minutes at a time of 3Dvideo. Just in time for
the holiday season. You can have all those warm fuzzy moments of opening
presents, playing with new toys, and fighting your brother for the cooler toy
all recorded in 3D! There is also a way to do Stop Motion so
you can create your own Robot Chicken style shorts in 3D! You
can also set the camera to do Interval Shots so you could have it take a
picture every 5 seconds and make a video out of it in 3D! Montage
lets you record for a little, stop, and then continue recording in the same video
stream later in 3D!
Now for the good stuff, Mii Plaza update. There are new
picture panels in Puzzle Swap. If you haven’t gotten all the old panels, that’s
ok, you can still get those. The new panels require more pieces so you will
have to meet more people to get them all. Another new feature is Find Mii II.
With new land to explore, more hats to wear, and more monsters to fight, it’s
quite the update. Sadly, to play Find Mii II, you will have to get all the hats
from the first. Flip on your 3DS and you should get an update prompt
automatically. Enjoy!
Pissed about the delays in "today's" 360 dashboard update? Even more pissed you have no idea why your 360 isn't updating? Well, it seems like the update itself is having some problems getting its ass server side for download. There isn't much info on what's going on, but you can follow Larry Hryb's (Major Nelson's) Twitter to stay up to date.
The latest update, as of now, states that they're still working to get the new dashboard live and there will be more news about it in the afternoon. It's afternoon now and still no news. There is no mention of the big update getting pushed back to tomorrow (or even later), so hopefully it's still coming today.
Keep an eye on Major Nelson's Twitter for more info. We'll post an update on this story when (or if) the download goes live today.
Waiting for that sweet 360 Dashboard update tomorrow? Well this might piss you off slightly. Earlier in the year, Microsoft claimed they were releasing an update for their console that would enable YouTube, HBO GO, and a few other apps. When the big M announced a big update for 360 on Dec. 6th, most of us assumed this would be the one to carry all of the fancy new apps. Unfortunately, that's not happening.
It appears that quite a few apps won’t make it into tomorrow's update. YouTube will launch "later in December" and HBO GO is looking at a release date in "early 2012." About a week ago, we ran a news story about Verizon FioS coming to 360. Unfortunately, this functionality is getting pushed back as well.
Of course, Microsoft never really promised these apps would come on the 6th. We all simply hoped. Seemed like a safe bet considering a lot of these functions were discussed months ago. Guess it's gonna take longer to work out the kinks.
The list below details when each app should be coming (approximately):
Dec. 6:
•
EPIX. United States
•
ESPN on Xbox LIVE (ESPN). United States
•
Hulu. Japan
•
Hulu Plus. United States
•
LOVEFiLM. United Kingdom
•
Netflix. Canada, United States
•
Premium Play by (MediaSet). Italy
•
Sky Go (SkyDE). Germany
•
Telefónica España – Movistar Imagenio. Spain
•
TODAY (MSNBC). United States
Later in December:
•
4 on Demand (C4). United Kingdom
•
ABC iView (Australian Broadcasting Corp.). Australia
•
AlloCiné. France (AlloCiné), Germany (Filmstarts), Spain (Sensacine), United Kingdom (Screenrush)
•
Astral Media’s Disney XD (Astral Media). Canada
•
blinkbox (Blinkbox). United Kingdom
•
Crackle (Sony Pictures). Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States
•
Dailymotion. Available in 32 countries globally
•
Demand 5 (Five). United Kingdom
•
DIGI+ (CANAL+). Spain
•
GolTV (Mediapro). Spain
•
iHeartRadio (Clear Channel). United States
•
Mediathek/ZDF (ZDF). Germany
•
MSN. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom
•
MSNBC.com. United States
•
MUZU.TV. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
•
ninemsn. Australia
•
Real Sports (Maple Leaf Sports). Canada
•
Rogers On Demand Online (Rogers Media). Canada
•
SBS ON DEMAND.Australia
•
Sky Go (SkyDE). Austria
•
TMZ (Warner Bros.). Canada, United States
•
TVE (RTVE.es). Spain
•
UFC on Xbox LIVE (UFC). Canada, United States
•
Verizon FiOS TV. United States
•
VEVO. Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States
•
Vudu (Wal-Mart). United States
•
YouTube. Available in 24 countries globally
Early 2012:
•
Antena 3 (Antena 3 de Televisión). Spain
•
BBC (BBC). United Kingdom
•
CinemaNow (Best Buy). United States
•
HBO GO (HBO). United States
•
MLB.TV (MLB Advanced Media). Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
•
Telenovelas/Sports (Televisa). Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom
I’ve never been a huge fan of yearly releases for video
games. Sequels are feeling less and less like sequels nowadays and I miss
seeing major changes/improvements in new franchise installments. Not every game
needs a whole lot of development time and I do like a few yearly titles, but
most of them lack the innovation of a 2-3 year development cycle. Assassin’s
Creed: Revelations is another title in an annual franchise. Most games
with a yearly cycle are much simpler and don’t require loads of story or level
development. This is an open world game with a brand new city, new missions,
and an online component. Is it possible for a game to tackle so much in one
year without it falling flat?
In every Assassin’s Creed, you play as Desmond Miles, a
present day drifter who straps into a matrix machine called the Animus that
allows him to relive the memories of his ancestors. The majority of every game
is spent in the Animus, exploring cities from hundreds of years ago. After a
slight hiccup at the end of the last game, Desmond seems to be stuck in the
world of the animus and must continue the adventures of one of his ancestors,
Ezio Auditore.
The game takes place in Constantinople during the rise of
the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s. Ezio travels here after he learns of a
powerful weapon that Altair (another ancestor of Desmond’s) hid somewhere in
the city. The Templars (the baddies of every AC game) have arrived in
Constantinople and are looking for the weapon as well. Ezio and his group of
assassins are determined to find the weapon before the Templars do, fearing
whoever finds it will win the war permanently. Besides the initial
introduction, the story isn’t laid on too thick for the rest of the game.
There are plenty of quests and a handful of side missions that will keep you
busy and entertained without worrying about the overall plot.
Out of all the Assassin’s Creeds, this is my favorite city.
Getting around in the open world environments have always been about the free
running mechanics for me. Other titles in the series required some horse riding
to get around to more populated areas, but these were always the more boring
parts of the game. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as jumping from rooftop to
rooftop to get to your destination. The city is much denser this time around
and features no barren cornfields that can only be crossed on horseback. This
allows you to constantly use your skills as a city free runner with one more
trick up your sleeve.
Revelations introduces a new mechanic called the hook blade.
It slides out of your sleeve like the hidden blade and provides a few more
options while traversing the city. You can use it to slide down zip lines,
reach higher ledges, and screw with guards in combat. It’s a small addition,
and probably could have been a later upgrade, but I was happy to get around the
city faster than I ever could before using its abilities.
The biggest change in Revelations is the notoriety system.
In past Assassin’s Creeds, killing guards made your notoriety meter rise and
the authorities more likely to recognize you as you passed by them. Now,
performing illegal tasks will still fill the meter, but never make the fuzz any
more likely to chase you on sight. In fact, nothing happens until the meter is
all the way full. At this point, one of your assassin’s dens can get attacked
by Templars at any time and you’ll have to go help. The only way to prevent
this is by paying Heralds or killing public officials (lowering the meter), or
just making sure the meter never fills to the top. Unfortunately, It’s much
easier to “perform illegal actions” in this game because every purchase around
town fills the meter a bit (buying up large amounts of weaponry naturally makes
the authorities suspicious). Worrying about the meter after every purchase can
be frustrating, but at least you can neglect it until its 90% full.
The game does sport a few questionable sequences. There are
levels that can be played as Desmond in first-person were you hop around in the
animus dream world, full of walls that look like computer code and a few other
random pieces of geometry. I would call these levels “not fun”. The first
person controls were a mess and the levels themselves didn’t add anything
interesting to the game’s story. It felt like they wanted to give you something
to do if you wanted to take a break from controlling Ezio. Playing one of these
levels once made me never want to take a break from Ezio again.
The game also has a few RTS sections that have you
commanding troops to stop waves of enemies from getting through your defenses.
These sequences are short and not as clunky as you might think in a game like
this. I wasn’t eager to play these battles over and over, but they were
interesting and kept me entertained. It didn’t hurt the game in my eyes, but
probably wasn’t needed.
The online component in this game is clearly an
afterthought, but does provide some entertainment for people who are looking to
have a bit more fun after the campaign. There are a handful of maps and modes
but the one that really stands out allows you to stalk one player while another
is stalking you. It’s a simple concept that provides nerve racking matches
where you’re constantly looking over your shoulder as you’re trying your best
to hunt down your target. I didn’t get to play the multiplayer as long as I
would have liked because of the game’s online code requirement that’s becoming
so popular with publishers recently. This title, at least, had a three day
trial, but the overall principle is the same. If you want to play online, buy
it new, or don’t touch it at all.
Assassins Creed: Revelations isn’t very
different from its predecessors, but is still fun and has a few extra goodies
to merit its existence. I have no idea how Ubisoft was able to build this much
in one year, but they did it. The credits show that it was clearly
“all-hands-on-deck” to get it done. It seems like every Ubisoft developer under
the sun touched this title. Regardless of a few questionable additions and a
game that hasn’t evolved much in a few years, I still had a really good time
with it. I wouldn’t call it a “must have” but I think it was as good a game can
be without transcending into the world of great. Buy it if you’re already done
with every Triple-A title that came out this year, but no matter what, rent it.
It’s an enjoyable piece of entertainment. Purpose achieved.
It’s been ten years since Halo: Combat Evolved blew
our minds on the original Xbox. The graphics were “bonus” (that’s what the cool
kids said), and the gameplay was unprecedented on a console. With a streamlined
control system and a myriad of clever weapons and grenades, Halo went
on to spawn half a dozen sequels and even more copy cats. After a decade of
supporting the franchise it created, Bungie broke free of Microsoft’s grip and
went on to go make something non-Halo. However, Microsoft created a new company
internally to manage the future of Halo called 343 Industries
(named after a bitch character in the series). 343 has created a map or two for
previous Halos, but the new studio just released its biggest project yet. Using
modern hardware and clever programming, 343 Industries just brought the
original Halo into the new generation.
343 wanted to do everything in their power to keep all the
gameplay intact while making it look like a current gen shooter. Part of how
they were able to do this is because some of the original code from ten years
ago is still being used. This ensured the physics, vehicles, and shooting would
behave exactly like it did ten years ago. Two graphics engines are running
simultaneously at all times. One runs the old game exactly how it was last
generation and the other is essentially the same under the hood, but boasts
“next gen” graphics. Major benefit? The player can choose to switch back and
forth between the old and new graphics any time they want. Pretty fancy.
I played through the game with just the new graphics the
first time through. I played Halo to DEATH years ago and was down to look at
something new. The outdoor vistas have seen the most improvement. What used to
be a flat green floor is now a beautiful collection of foliage and trees that
really pop. The indoor levels still bear a slight improvement, but it’s not as
noticeable. Sometimes a flat wall can only ever be a flat wall. The new
graphics are sharp but still don’t look as good as Halo: Reach or
any other modern shooter for that matter. I also ran into some frame rate
issues while playing in the Anniversary graphics. If I had to guess, I’d say
running two engines at the same time is taxing on the hardware and could be the
reason why they couldn’t push the newer visuals to today’s standards.
The new graphics also feature a few new character animations
and subtle differences that go a little beyond just a new coat of paint.
Unfortunately, some of the new animations still look dated, even though 343
clearly had complete control over them. Also, a few automatic doors don’t blink
or light up like they used to when they open, and the HUD didn’t seem to get
much of a visual upgrade at all. These complaints are nitpicky, but I expected
a little more polish on Microsoft’s biggest franchise.
Besides the aesthetics, Anniversary also has upgraded 5.1
audio with some re-recorded sound effects. All the voice acting has been kept
intact, but some of the guns carry a brand new bang. This was actually my
favorite part about the remake. The sniper rifle fires with a heavy bass now
and the Needler sounds more alien than ever. Casual observers won’t notice the
difference, but it’s a guaranteed rager for anyone who’s heard the old sounds a
million times. Plenty of sound effects were untouched (and a few were
questionably removed) but the audio director definitely did his job on this
one.
The only other addition to the single player mode is
Terminals. This is a feature that was present in the past few Halo titles.
They’re little easter eggs that can be found around the campaign that give you
a deeper understanding of the Halo universe. In Anniversary, any time you are
in the updated graphics mode, you’re liable to find these terminals and get
more stories that elude to what Halo 4 might be about. It’s a
small addition, but the dedicated Halo fan will love it.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary also includes 6
competitive multiplayer maps and one map specifically for Firefight (Halo’s
Horde mode). All these maps are redesigned versions of arenas from classic
Halos, but they don’t keep the old rule set. They were all built with theHalo:
Reach graphics engine and rules. You can either play these maps using
the Anniversary disc or the Halo: Reach disc (if you choose to
install them to your hard drive). The only nostalgia in the multiplayer’s
gameplay is that some game modes tweak the weapon damage, jump height, etc. to
make everything behave like it did in Halo: CE. It’s not really the same, but
it’s something. Besides that, there’s no way to relive those hectic split
screen sessions from ten years ago in this package. Kind of a shame.
Each map is a beautiful remake and a lot of fun to fight on.
There are two versions of every map: Classic and Anniversary. The classic
versions mimic the old geometry as best it can to please purists, and the
Anniversary versions add tunnels, walkways, structures, etc. to make the map
play better with Halo: Reach’s gameplay. These maps offer a
new dynamic to online battles (as do all new maps) and keep the online battles
for Reach fresh and fun.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a great
package, and well worth it at only 40 bucks. However, out of all the Halo
games, this is the lightest package. Halo has been synonymous with content over
the years and Anniversary doesn’t quite offer the long legs the other Halo’s
have. I understand this game was probably a short development cycle, but even
Halo: ODST featured a brand new campaign and the invention of firefight with
only a year in development. I recommend this title to anyone who likes
shooters. If you haven’t played Halo, there’s never been a better time to enjoy
it. If you’re a long time fan, you’re going to love the modern touch, just
remember, it’s a $40 Halo in price and content.
Kotaku reported this morning that customers of the Verizon FioS service will be able to watch a limited number of channels on their Xbox 360. Unfortunately, you have to be subscribed to both Verizon's internet and TV package (and Xbox Live) in order to take advantage of the feature. The Xbox 360 functionality will support Kinect to surf around the menus, but there will only be 26 channels available when the feature launches next month.
Verizon will have an app on the dashboard in a month
Verizon is also offering a deal to anyone who wants to jump ship from their current non-Verizon service. For $89.99 a month, they will provide you with FioS TV, FioS internet (35mbps up and down), Verizon voice service, a year of Xbox Live, and a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
The deal doesn't sound too shabby but the 360 benefit seems to be pretty low at only 26 channels. Verizon said they will be adding more over time, so it could become a sweeter deal in the months to come. The offer is only available through Jan. 21st. Make sure to check the Verizon website to see if FioS is available in your area. I've lived in a few locations around L.A. Not one had FioS as an option. Good luck to you my fellow entertainment whores!
Nothing sucks more than having a broken console with a heap of games growing mold, and waiting to be played- especially one that costs a few more dollars than an average plug-and-play emulator (which in my book is awesome!). That's what's happening to me. While I collect enough dough from selling dough (cookie dough that is) to purchase a replacement part for said console I bring to you Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS.
Set on a post-apocalyptic world where a meager fraction of humans have survived a shower of meteors, and have formed factions to survive, a boy named Will emerges to become a badass, and make living in Hell a whole lot cooler (pun). The good guys- Rubinelle- are trying to help everyone get by while the baddies- Lazuria- are trying to take everything over. Somewhere in between, a creepy Quack and his IDS- Intelligent Defense Systems- perform biological tests on the remaining humans hoping to see how much humans can endure suffering.
Advance Wars is a turn-based tactics game where the object of the game is to either: destroy all enemy units, capture the enemy headquarters, or complete the objective. Units can be built with enough in-game money that generates each turn depending on how many buildings the player has captured. Units are limited to ground, water, and air (i.e. tanks, artillery, battleships, jets). CO's- or Commanding Officers- offer unique bonuses with each battle such as: generating more money each turn, less cost for units, attack/defense boost for units, who are chosen before each battle (but are set in Campaign), and may be assigned to a specific unit to deliver more oomph.
Unlike previous installments of the game, Days of Ruin's CO's powers have been downgraded to have more balance. No longer is a CO's special attack a day ruiner, but more of a toe stubber. New units have also emerged, and old ones reworked. Multiplayer is more definitive and has included on-line play (which I fucking rocked all day, every day). Other than small changes, the core game play is the same formula.
The Campaign was such a bitch to try and complete! Oh my goodness, it took every ounce of knowledge of the game to beat all 26 missions! And then there were the side-missions! I have spent a good 30 hours+ on the game on Campaign alone (include the multiplayer and shazam! a whole month worth!). But I muffed that Quack's ass, and I spanked his daughter's (in a good way), and I saved the day, and I got the girl, and I elevated to Kinghood, and I slayed the mythical beast of the unknown, and I rode the white stallion across the beach with flowing locks of manhood, and I passed through the Ring of Fire to join Tankhood, and I beat Super Mario Bros. 3 with top score, and I captured Mewtwo with a pokeball, and I took all 25 routes, unlocked Expert mode and beat Andross!!!.... Uh, you get the point.
If you like chess, this is your game (and Fire Emblem). It is a sure-fire way to get the 'ol brain juices flowing. Make custom maps and play with friends, taking turns on one DS. This title is an A- in my book. Check it out, and maybe one day you can be a man like Will the boy!
Welcome to G-Cast Episode 14! Waiting for that Assassin’s Creed: Revelations G-Cast? Well, unfortunately that comes next week, but I BET you’ve been waiting for the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary discussion! Unfortunately, that comes next week too. Because of the volume of games coming out this month, we’ve had to push back a few games. This week, Landon, Ivan, and David sit down and review The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Listen and find out what we thought of the most popular fantasy RPG on the market today as we debate every aspect of the game and grade the title overall. Click “Email Us” to tell us what you think! Subscribe to us on iTunes here! Tune in next week when we discuss two games: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. Thanks for listening!
The game you have been asking about for years is finally here. Oblivion came out over five years ago and its last piece of DLC came out just a year after that. Many gamers have been eagerly waiting for the next installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The wait is over. It’s in stores now. RPGs have evolved a lot over the past 5 years. With the Dragon Age and Final Fantasy ruling the RPG market is there any room for Elder Scrolls? Have the enhancements in Skyrim stayed up to date with the industry standards? Are you going to be mad because I’m not giving this game a perfect score?
Skyrim is a beautiful game. It has amazing textures and is very detailed. Not to mention a draw distance that surpasses all others. The sights found in this game leave me speechless. Whether you are on the highest peak or in the lowest valley, you will remember your time here forever. Detail is a big part of these visuals. From how the snowfalls onto the ground or how a wolf’s howl warns you not to get closer, never before have I felt like a real citizen of a virtual land.
The AI is something else. It interacts with you and each other more than real people do (if you don’t get out much). Animals will watch as you pass, giving warnings to not step on their turf. Trust me you won’t be able to take down all the beasts you encounter. The AI have their own lives inside this virtual world. You can even ask the Inn Keeper if anyone needs help nearby. He/she will tell you someone was complaining about the bears around the city. Quest time, speak to them and get a quest to kill the bears. Battles can get really intense with the intelligent AI. They switch up combat strategies on the fly and don’t mind chasing you for as long as it takes.
The combat has changed from Oblivion. The triggers act as your right and left hands. You can equip just about anything to each hand: spells, swords, and shields. I stuck with spells for my left hand and a one handed sword for my right. Bow and arrows were a nice back up if I needed space. Remember to save often. I can’t remember how many times I would be hiking up a hill for hours to complete a quest and run into a Frost Troll. Those things are tough and when you die you go back to your last save. The enemies are strong but let’s face it, there’s only one type of enemy you want to hear about. The Dragons!
The Era of Dragons is upon us and it’s up to you to save the day. You fight your first dragon early in the main quest. It is an experience that I won’t soon forget. The dragon flying through the sky, landing only to kill the soldiers as you run for cover. I stuck with my Bow and Arrows for that fight. It was so intense I was yelling at my TV for the soldiers to get into cover. Why do they never listen? After finally killing the beast, somehow, you absorb its soul. The survivors say it’s because you are Dragon Born (I don’t know how a Dark Elf was born from a Dragon but hey, it works). Your adventure will continue but I don’t want to spoil anything, as you need to experience it yourself.
Skyrim has many things it did right and a few it did wrong but they are still there. Facial expressions aren’t up to par with other games. Menus can be trouble to navigate. Roads can be hard to find, and essential, when the nav point will say “go there” but a mountain blocks your path. Dungeons are better than ever with the new AI and graphics. Many games are grabbing for your money this holiday season. Skyrim should be near the top of your list. A- and that might be a little harsh, but the facial expressions bugged me a lot.
If you've been in the preview program, this might not be that exciting to you (it might not even be that exciting to you anyway). The new 360 dashboard update is being released officially on the 6th of December and will carry a few changes.
Bing will be added to the console allowing people to use Kinect to simply say the title of a game or movie and have the Xbox find it. The dashboard will also have some aesthetic changes. It will embody Microsoft's new "Metro" design and the Kinect Hub and standard dashboard are one and the same now. There are a few other random changes (like being able to post achievements to facebook) but this update doesn't sound as content heavy as some of the dashboard updates in the past.
I was also under the impression this update would let you save your profile to the cloud, allowing you to avoid recovering your account at a friend's house. However, I'm not sure if Microsoft will follow up on that. We'll find out on December 6th!
This is the time of year where real MEN come out to enjoy the hard sounds of engines revving and tires screeching! The burning smell of exhaust and new-car fuels the muscles of a total road warrior! Oh yeah. It’s that time of year. Where people like us charge right into the L.A. Convention Center, walk past all those men, and drool at the Nintendo booth! Yaaaay (throws confetti)! Nintendo made a very unusual appearance at the Auto Show this year to unveil a project they’ve been working on with West Coast Customs. Not too many details were given, but we arrived at the show seeing two vehicles covered with a sheet. Oh yeah. Let’s see them.
Reggie Fils-Aime (President and COO of Nintendo of America) took the stage and started to talk briefly about the Mario Kart franchise. Mario Kart has sold over 80 million copies around the world and plans to launch its latest installment on December 4th with Mario Kart 7. To promote the new game, Reggie said Nintendo had an idea for a couple custom vehicles and approached West Coast Customs to see if they could help make their idea a reality. They took the sheets off the mystery vehicles and BAM! They exploded. Nah, wishful thinking. I enjoy epicness. Close though! The two cars were fully functional life sized versions of Mario’s Standard Kart and Luigi’s Bumble V Kart! Oh yeah. They looked mighty hot.
The CEO of West Coast Customs (Ryan Friedlinghaus) was then invited on stage to explain the cars and talk about how they’re totally race-able! He found out when one of his employees totally PWND him the night before the presentation. The presentation was short but we didn’t mind. It was time to get a closer look at the cars and get some sweet hands on time with Mario Kart 7!
Nintendo was doing the same thing they’ve done with the last few conventions where the 3DS was present. The consoles are chained to a crew of Nintendo gals whose job it is to let you play, tell you about the game, and distract you enough so you don’t steal it. My crew and I started a game with a few of the Nintendo girls and got in some 8 player action (the ‘giggity’ is way too obvious here and I’ll have no part of it)! Mario Kart 7 allows you to customize everything. You can choose what kind of glider you want, tires, kart, etc. Every choice obviously has a give and take as you watch the kart’s statistics fall in certain categories as you’re deciding what parts to use. This gives the series a bit more of a “hardcore” approach, but for many of us who love Mario Kart, this is a good thing.
The gameplay is just as solid as ever with a ton of new tracks and a few new power ups. The new powerups Nintendo was really boasting at the event were the Super Leaf, Fire Flower, and Lucky 7. The Super Leaf gives your cart a Tanooki Tail (possible cross advertising for Super Mario 3D land?). This allows you to swat away hazards on the road. The Fire Flower gives you the same power here as every other Mario game it’s featured in, but this time you can throw fire at other racers instead of Goomba AIs. The Lucky 7 is the most intense one. This will spawn 7 items around your kart just waiting to PWN someone on your command.
The game will also feature Nintendo Wi-Fi play and take advantage of the 3DS StreetPass functionality. If you walk past someone else who’s carrying a 3DS, the systems will automatically trade scores and win/loss records.
Overall, the show was short but plenty fun. We got to see the karts for real! After many years of racing these puppies digitally, we finally got to stand right next to one. The game itself is shaping up to be the best Mario Kart so far. Our very own Landon Dastrup commented, “It takes everything they did right with Mario Kart DS and improves it.” Make sure to check out all the pictures from the event by clicking on our new “Event Pics” section on the sidebar. Don’t forget to come back in a few weeks for our full review on Mario Kart 7.
This is the podcast you’ve all been waiting for! It’s the episode where we finally act professional! Intrigued? Good, cause I lied, but now that you’re already halfway through this paragraph, you’ll be happy to know this is the episode where we talk about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and debate if it deserves your dollars over Battlefield 3. Landon, Ivan, and David are fully prepared to choose their sides and explain in detail which game they would choose and why. Click “Email Us” to tell us what you think! Subscribe to us on iTunes here! Tune in next Friday for another episode of G-Cast when we talk about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim!
The time is now. The war is in full swing and it’s time to choose your side. Battlefield or Call of Duty. Choose damn you! Oh. You might want to know a little something about Call of Duty first. Valid desire. Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 are very different games. It’s important to remember this. Someone might lean naturally towards one or the other because of their gameplay differences. Call of Duty has always been quick and fast (giggity) and Battlefield embodies a slower, more strategic theater of war. Of course, the style of game isn’t the only deciding factor. If the quality of one is leaps and bounds above the other, you might want to think about switching. Is Modern Warfare 3 good enough to make Battlefield players give it a shot? Find out now! OMG the suspense rager!
The single player campaign picks up right where the last Modern Warfare ended. If you haven’t played the last game, spoiler alert (and wtf man? Are you alive?). Vladimir Makarov is still the bad guy and you’re forced to immediately deal with the knife wound Soap earned himself at the end of the last campaign. After tending to soaps wounds, you’re immediately thrown into the action. Russia is still at war with the U.S. (a popular choice for the modern war game) and New York is under attack. The beginning of the game reminds you of the climax of a lot of war games. A big city and lots of explosions. I can understand why they’d want to open this game in a big way, considering the success of MW2. Seeing this immediately got me thinking about what they might do to top this throughout the campaign.
Unfortunately, they don’t do much. The campaign has you hopping to every major city in the world to fight off Russian attacks without a whole lot of explanation. After a while, the game starts to feel like a collection of encounters rather than a game. Each city looks impressive, but your mission is always the same. Kill some Russians and enjoy some explosions. This is fun for the first hour or so, but it really starts to wear on you by the end of the game. There was no sense of pacing. There weren’t enough emotional peaks and valleys to keep it interesting. Whoever made this game seemed to think the more explosions, the better the game.
The first couple Modern Warfares took pride in having plenty of missions with a calmer tone. It really gave them that “it” factor that allowed them to transcend above “just a war game.” I expected I would be able to shoot a hundred guys in the middle of a major intersection, but I never expected I would get to control the cannons of an AC-130, or wear a ghillie suit and hunt for targets in a ghost town. These were all some of my favorite sequences from MW1 & 2, but moments like these are few and far between in this new installment. The game still has one or two memorable moments, but a hundred that fall flat. Most of them were complete copies of what you got in the previous games and didn’t create any emotions you haven’t felt before.
The developer of this game (Infinity Ward) went through a bit of drama a couple years ago with its publisher, Activision. A couple of the founding members of Infinity Ward (Jason West & Vince Zampella) were fired for mysterious reasons shortly after Modern Warfare 2 came out. Some of the details are still undisclosed, but the rumor is Jason and Vince held meetings with EA that breached their contract. The two developers were also suing Activision, claiming the publisher didn’t pay Infinity Ward the royalties they deserved for MW2. Since their firing, our unemployed entrepreneurs created a new company called Respawn Entertainment with the funding and support of EA. Since then, the majority of the people at Infinity Ward have left to join Jason & Vince at Respawn. It would be easy for me to blame the loss of campaign quality in MW3 on the lost talent, and That’s exactly what I’m going to do. In all seriousness, whoever made the campaigns so memorable in the last two Modern Warfares, clearly left.
Fortunately for Activision, a large population of shooter fans won’t even touch the campaign. The multiplayer is back with everything you expect, and nothing you don’t. The gameplay hasn’t been shaken up at all, and for some long-time fans, that’s a good thing. You can shoot the crap out of your friends across 10 modes (even more if you consider the alternates) on 16 maps. This may sound like a strong selling point when you consider Battlefield 3 only has 2 modes with around 10 maps. However, a lot of MW3’s maps are ripped right out of the campaign and aren’t nearly as big as battlefield’s.
PvP is still just an infantry affair with no vehicles, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Call of Duty has always taken pride in having really fast paced infantry combat. Shooting your friends in a hectic environment with no respawn times can be fun, but it’s the exact same fun you can still get with Modern Warfare 2. A few things have been added (kill streaks work a little differently and you can now attach two scopes on one weapon), but this does very little to create a new sense of enjoyment. It’ll feel like you’ve already been playing this multiplayer for the past two years. This conservative approach might please some who just want the same game with more unlocks, but frustrate others who waited this long for something different.
Spec Ops also returns with a new mode. You can play the mission mode which will allow you and a buddy to complete objectives together against the A.I. (identical to MW2). The new mode is called survival. This is essentially the Modern Warfare 3 version of a horde or zombie mode. You take on wave after wave of enemies earning cash to build turrets and other defenses. It’s pretty generic and seems to only exist because it’s the law if you are a shooter right now. Both modes are challenging and fun, but it suffers from the same déjà vu as the rest of the package. You’ll feel like you’ve already played it over and over again.
Modern Warfare 3 is a good game, not a great game. It’s missing the surprise and quality that made the previous titles must-haves. I’m giving it the same grade as I gave Battlefield 3, but for different reasons. Battlefield’s glitches held it back, MW3’s gameplay is its hang-up. Which one should you buy? It just depends on the type of fighter you are. Are you slow and strategic (Battlefield 3) or quick and ruthless (Modern Warfare 3)? I tend to be slow and strategic. Battlefield is my choice. I would have even given Battlefield a higher grade were it not for the technical problems (glitches and server outages). They both weren’t as good as I was hoping, but Battlefield won my purchase this year. If you’re still addicted and need your fix, go for MW3. If you don’t want to play the same game for 60 more dollars, give battlefield a try. If you haven’t played either… Good lord man.
The fearless hero stood at the mouth of Hell. No matter the odds, no matter the cost, the hero would press on. Whatever may lurch, whatever may haunt, the hero was resolute. The howl of the unknown settled on his mind, but he was aware of what must be done. Stale air in his lungs and dust in his eyes told the ancient tale of the people and place. The fearless hero, sword in hand, shield on arm, weapons at ready, marched into the dungeon without a second beat. He is Link. And this is Twilight Princess.
Set on a parallel world to Ocarina a century ahead, the kingdom of Hyrule is being conquered by an evil dude named Zant using the Twilight to steal the Light from the Light Spirits. Link is thrust into the middle of everything when his friends (a couple of snot-nosed kids) and his love interest (who has a thing for horses) are captured by a goblin/orc type thingy riding a boar, and while giving chase to his love interest (forget those kids… especially the creepy girl with a crush on Link) is turned into a wolf, and forced into the Twilight Zone. He is rescued by a Twilight person named Midna, meets Zelda, is conscripted into saving the world, and before he realizes what’s going on KA-POW! He’s already Midna, Zelda, that-one-creepy-woman-who-keeps-winking-at-him, the Queen of the Zora, the Gorgon, and the Mayor of his hometowns’ bitch (I’m sure I’m missing some).
Link has to collect the tears of light for the Light Spirits in wolf form to return the balance back to the force…I mean back to Hyrule, all while helping Midna recover the Fused Shadows in human form to help her stop Zant. A tough day for Link indeed. He must feel more used than… a napkin, or a tissue, or a cup, or something. If only he still had his voice to speak up for himself, (after walking in on his parents, he’s never been the same) then people might not walk all over him.
The addition of Ganondorf in the game was more of a fan service deal. (By the way… SPOILERZ!). The story ties in the fact that Ganondorf was imprisoned in the Twilight some hundred years ago, presumably by the Link of the Past, and is the source of all chaos. Link kicks his ass faster than you can sneeze, so by the time you turn back to the screen he’s already owned by the Master Sword.
The story is much more prevalent than previous installments. Fewer side missions are available, so be prepared to finish off relatively quick. But what drives the game is the efficiency of combat. The Wii remote acts as a guide for arrow shots, boomerang throws, claw shot clamping, and it works marvelously! Sword swinging and shield striking are a little clunky, but are a better change up than button mashing. Horseback combat has been improved twice fold so Link is able to swing his sword from side-to-side with as little as a waggle from the Wii-mote (Nintendo must be ecstatic that someone said Wii-mote). The wolf sections of the game were pretty repetative, until utilized where Link can switch between human and wolf modes.
For a delayed game well over two years… meh, for a new Zelda without the wait, was freaking sweet. Adapted into the Wii for new functionality and revved up innovation, the Twilight Princess is an awesome step forward for the series. Although not my favorite Zelda in the series, it none the less lives up to the name. So A it gets! (As a side note, those forsaken spiders scared the crap out of me, and now I sleep with my shield and sword Wii attachments at night... thanks Nintendo.)
Salt Water touches your lips. Wind blows through your hair. You might be on a beach or you might be playing The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker. As with many Legend of Zelda games, they start with the story of The Hero of Time. A couple of things are different with this Zelda tale. Cartoon graphics, Link has a family, and you are stuck on an island. It’s these things that set Wind Waker apart from any other Zelda game before or after it.
Life is good. It’s your birthday. You talk to your grandma and she gives you the legendary hero’s clothing to wear. Then, your sister gives you her telescope. While using the telescope, you see a giant bird and someone is in its claw. Some cannon fire from a ship hits the bird and it drops the person into a forest in the distance. You decide to go help but first you need to get a sword and shield. After that, you climb up a mountain and rescue the girl. Apparently she is the leader of a pirate ship. The bird comes back but grabs your sister instead. You join the pirates to save her after hearing she has been taken to the Forsaken Fortress.
Once you get to the Forsaken Fortress, you get thrown behind the walls. You get separated from your sword and cannot fight. You must sneak past enemies, find your sword, and rescue your sister. When you find your sister, the bird grabs you before you rescue her. The bird takes you to his master, and master of everything in the Forsaken Fortress, Ganon. He knows you are too weak and has you ejected from his Fortress. That is when the King of Red Lions finds you. Then you truly start your adventure.
The story is one of the best-crafted Zelda stories of all time. It sticks to the original recipe for a Zelda game, but still brings in enough to keep it fresh. Sailing is the biggest gameplay changer. No longer are you jumping on a horse and riding to your next target. Now you set sail and find your own path. If you are a fan of side missions, there a plenty of those, but if you just want to get through the story, you can do that too.
The music and sounds are as amazing as any other Zelda. All the sounds and music are inspired by the older Zelda games but enhanced or changed to fit this new adventure. It is what you expect from a Zelda game but also something that surprises you. The graphics are cell shaded but it works well with the comedy. Familiar faces look different, not just because of the new graphics, but because of the story and what has happened to their race. It might take time to get used to it, but it is worth it for an experience like this.
The new gadgets, and some of the old, bring new views on puzzle solving. The most important of which is the Wind Waker. Controlling the wind is a big deal and it’s even impossible to complete some puzzles without the wind blowing in the right direction. Another new item is the Deku Leaf. This lets you shoot gusts of wind at enemies or glide through the air for short distances. Using the Wind Waker and Deku Leaf together efficiently will help you get far. Everything else about the gameplay is just as you remember it from all other Zelda games. Slice and dice with your sword, block incoming attacks with your shield, and even the hook shot comes back.
What makes this Zelda such a different game than the rest is the size. Giant landscapes to explore, huge dungeons to conquer, and a big mystery to uncover. The sailing is a wonderful mechanic. You just have to be patient with it. The audio will make you want to stop and just take it all in every now and again. The weapons and items are used in such a way you never knew possible. This is the closest to a “perfect” game I have ever seen but I don’t believe in a perfect game. So this is an A, the highest grade I can give it. I want to thank Nintendo for making such an amazing game.
Ocarina of Time. Of course you remember the title. Maybe not the gameplay, the story, nor the graphics, but the name is pertinent and forever will be. But has anyone ever stopped to think about what came after? Has anyone ever stopped to think, “Hey, I remember Nintendo made another Zelda after Ocarina!” Unfortunately, the majority of the population shuns every existing title after Ocarina. Driven into a corner, mistreated and alone, the other Zelda titles struggle to stay afloat in a world ruled by favoritism. I’m here to stop such a cruel, inhumane treatment of other Zelda games. I’m here to shed a little light on their world, and show them that love exists outside. And for as little as a penny a day, you too can help raise awareness. Take a stand and say, “Hey, I remember Nintendo made The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask!”
Majora’s Mask was released two years after Ocarina of Time, and is a direct sequel to it. Set in a town called Termina, seven months after the events in Ocarina, young Link rides in on the beloved Epona to do what he does best: to be a tool for the rest of the world (half kidding). He is quickly screwed over by a skull kid wearing Majora’s Mask and forced to wear a Deku mask which turns the hero into an actual Deku. Link (the Deku) finds his way to the town, and unmasks himself into the form of a boy again. And they lived happily ever after…. Until the same damn skull kid unleashes the moon to crash into and destroy the town within three days! Fuck you skull kid! So now Link has to man (boy) up, and find the four giants who can help him stop the moon's descent.
The game is an innovator where the Ocarina can be used to slow, speed, or reverse time. Masks are also the centerpiece of the game where each can be worn to create unique effects (i.e. bunny ears make Link quicker, great fairy mask attracts fairies). Special masks can turn Link into a Deku, Gorgon, or Zora that allow Link to possess the necessary prowess to travel within specific terrains (or turn the Ocarina into awesome instruments). Four main areas are available for exploration and dungeon crawling, each with unique terrains accessible with the corresponding mask.
The combat in the game is symmetrical to its predecessor with the exception of the special moves and items associated with the special masks. Many side quests are available- more so than the predecessor- and dungeons are beefier with mask-specific puzzles. No Ganondorf though, and only a glimpse of Zelda. Oh, and the fan-girls who swooned over older Link won’t get none of that in Majora’s. Honestly though, you won’t miss them at all with this title (Especially no more "Hey, hey, hey, you motherfucker listen!"). Kicking that skull kid in the galls, and playing that cool ass guitar as the Zora are more than enough to keep this game appetizing. And at the time of its release, the new expansion pack for the N64 added new crisp textures to the game.
By far, this is a very worthy title. I give everything an A+, with reason, but few titles are very deserving like this one. Elaborate puzzles, and fresh gameplay unlike other Zelda titles make Majora’s Mask a unique and must play for any Zelda fan. But if you still bat an eyelid, I promise, you will miss out on an awesome game (that, and you just made my shit list). So again… for a dollar a day (fees went up), you too can help Majora’s Mask feel wanted and appreciated.
It’s been almost exactly 13 years since Ocarina of Time wowed us on the N64. The Legend of Zelda was strictly a 2D title until the moment of Ocarina’s release. A 3D Zelda seems like a natural fit now, but at the time, I wondered how they would translate the game into the third dimension without losing its spirit. Zelda was tied to 2D as tight as Mario was. One thing that gave me hope and got me excited, was the success of Super Mario 64. Our favorite Italian Plumber went through the same dimension change a couple years earlier and still holds a place in my heart as one of the best Mario games in history. Could Nintendo bring us that same magic to translate Zelda into the polygon world? Of course they could! (slaps you) How dare you doubt them!
The game’s story is magical and worthy of a place among the best fairy tales out there. Our adventure takes place in Hyrule Kingdom. Ganondorf, an evil king of thieves with the ability to turn into a Man-Bear-Pig, is desperate to find an ancient relic called the Triforce. It is said that anyone who holds the Triforce will be granted one wish. It's assumed Ganondorf wont be wishing for world peace. You play as Link, a little fairy boy with an appetite for adventure. Things go south when Ganondorf captures the kingdom and chases down Zelda for a piece of the Triforce. Link tries to interject, but Ganondorf pushes Link aside like some twirp. Oh no you di’int! Now begins the adventure of stopping Ganondorf and getting some sweet revenge.
The meat of the game is in its dungeons. Each dungeon has a theme (water, fire, shadow, etc.) and is full of puzzles that will get you further toward your ultimate goal. Some of the temples can stump you at times, but that’s part of the fun. There’s no greater feeling than discovering the solution to a puzzle you’ve been working on for hours. Many puzzle games now have gotten easier and easier. This allows for a wider audience to play, but doesn’t give the same satisfaction you would get with harder adventures. Ocarina of time is the perfect game to experience the nostalgia of when the challenge was great and the reward was satisfying. Thank god for virtual console (and the newly released 3DS version)!
You will travel to many towns and upgrade your equipment every now and then, but this is not an RPG. No XP is given, and there are very little side missions. This truly is just an adventure (and a damn good one). The story isn’t laid on too thick once you start tackling dungeons. All the dialogue is strictly text based with no voice acting. However, the narrative is still extremely compelling and has a twist that will shock you!... as long as you’ve been living under a rock.
This game is a treasure and a masterpiece. There is no way you can own a Nintendo console without this gem in your library. The experience of playing this beautiful piece of art is an irreplaceable part of any gamer’s life. Playing it in 1998 blew me away and still gives me chills over 10 years later. This title will make you feel like you finally got to live that adventure you always dreamed about having in the backyard as a kid. If you haven’t played this game… (slaps you again) Play. It. Now. If you have, give it another go. Skyward Sword is coming out and there’s no better way to get you in the mood for another 3D adventure than playing the game that started it all.
