New Releases Lineup

2015 has kicked off with an explosion of new and exciting content to take over lives and destroy productivity. From survival horror to dark comedy, stealth to strategy, battling through hell with Johnny Gat to conquering the Goo in the distant, technologically advanced future. Whatever you're looking for, at the moment, there's something for every one.

If You're On A Budget: Resident Evil Revelations 2 

It can be tough on the bank keeping up with the ever-inflating prices of new releases, but thankfully more and more games are jumping aboard the episodic format to help out the old PS Store wallet. Though, strictly speaking, Resi Revelations 2 is not a new release, the first episode is due out on the 24th February in North America, and the 25th for us in Europe, so not that long a wait. After playing Revelations on 3DS a couple of years ago, i'm desperately excited for the sequel. The abandoned ship setting is perfect for that up close claustrophobia we have all come to love to hate, and the wide range of tasks presented maintained for excellently fresh gameplay. Hopefully the sequel follows suit, but in my experience, if you love Resi it's likely you won't be disappointed, and the episodic gameplay allows small exchanges of pocket money for some high standard play. 

If You're Reminiscing: Grim Fandango, Resident Evil  

Two remastered classics have hit the line-up recently; Resident Evil, and Grim Fandango. Grim Fandango, a forgotten classic from LucasArts, is a darkly comic adventure game which has certainly stood the test of time. Play as Manny Calavera, who is working to pay off a number of debts over a four year period while working as a travel agent in the afterlife. From the depths of 1998, Double Fine Productions have dug up this treasure and brought it to the mainstream where no doubt its complex story, infuriatingly tricky challenges, and upbeat soundtrack will feel right at home. It's also got a developer commentary which I got really excited about - see my last post for the evidence.

Resident Evil is perhaps, less of a nuanced gameplay experience. The 1996 survival horror has been through the remastering machine and come out an almost-perfectly polished modern experience (save for some minute glitching) promising all the terror and nightmares that came with the original, in a beautifully renovated setting.

If You're Looking For New IP: Grey Goo  

Grey Goo was finally released in January after being pushed back from autumn last year. In this real time strategy game, a group of humans and their lovable alien buddies called the Beta attempt to conquer the Goo far far in the future. Goo, nanobots that consume their enemies in order to create new factions, with a large amount of strategic tactic developing, and confusion over who is on who's side. Needless to say, things get pretty muddled in the game, but the 15 campaign missions of complex story and large range of skills to develop (though you can only really master them and then forget them due to the movement between factions that happens every 5 missions) help you through. Grey Goo has just been released on PC and is going for £30. 

If You Want A Laugh: Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell  

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is a short and sweet stand alone in the Saints Row series. Playing as Johnny Gat as you battle your way through hell, coming across some hilariously portrayed historical figures as well as previous characters from the series. Overall it feels and plays like a self-conscious giggle at the series itself and is certain to provide some lightly dark entertainment with all the fireworks you've come to expect from the previous games. 

Smash Hit, ios: Review

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the best games to grace Apple products are the simplest, and Smash Hit is no exception. With its crisp graphics, sharp sound effects, and uncomplicated gameplay, it screams addiction. The premise of the game sees you travelling through a series of glass obstacles in first person which you must destroy with a limited number of metal balls (that you can win back by destroying crystals). It is a concept that through their sheer simplicity breeds a brilliantly attractive and effortlessly engaging past-time with no waiting time, and no ads.

The basic foundations of the gameplay have allowed for the developers to easily create new challenges, keeping the game fresh with a wide variety of tasks presenting themselves as you move up levels. These obstacles may warrant a few attempts before being beaten, but most of them rely on quick thinking, timing, and aim. 

The premium version is required for picking up from where you left off last time, however this isn't so much of a downer as it first seems. Though the higher levels are more difficult and often pose a real challenge, the therapeutic simplicity of the opening stages and the game's compelling nature makes it a pleasure to retread your steps. This is improved by the changing dynamics of gameplay in the form of certain power-ups. Hit ten consecutive crystals in a row and shoot multiple balls at your targets, allowing a greater impact and wider target range, with the number of balls awarded correlating to the number of crystals you have hit. This ensures that no two plays are the same, greatly increasing replayability. 

The game is consistently enjoyable due to its ability to challenge the player with new levels and threats while maintaining the entertainment required to play the game enough to learn how to proceed. Even then, it only takes a few tries to break through tricky levels which are just as favourable as the first ones and easily defeated with practice. While there are ample opportunities to boost the number of balls at your disposal (hit an obstacle and lose 10 in a heart-stopping moment of red screen terror), it only takes a few mistakes to seriously set you back from even the most promising of situations.

The impressive physics establish realistic reactions and forces, however it is not 100% consistent as there are some instances when the player is able to travel through a sheet of glass despite the fact that the area smashed area was nowhere near where it needed to be. This happens rarely however, and is quite frankly a relief in times of frantic ball-flinging. 

The sound reflects the crisp graphics, with coolly calming music accompanying the satisfyingly sharp shattering of the glass. Hearing the impact of the initial hit and the echo of the crashing obstacles makes for incredibly gratifying gameplay. 

Overall, Smash Hit is an intensely addictive game with a beautifully simple design and infinite replayability. Managing to maintain an enjoyable balance between entertainment and challenge, all aspects of the game collaborate to create a thrillingly original experience... which is probably why it is currently featured on App Store Best of 2014.

Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series - PS3 Review

Telltale throws you into the politically hostile world of Westeros and watches as you run free, dictating your own Game of Thrones. Playing as three characters in true Game of Thrones episodic fashion, it is essentially your job to keep House Forrester and the Ironwood safe from various threatening houses. Whether it's Cersei's distrust of your previous Stark alliance, or the threat of Ramsay Bolton's imminent presence, the situations you are faced with couldn't be more thrillingly delicate.

The game is based around your decisions, with timed conversation responses manipulating the gameplay content and the story of House Forrester as well as non-timed decisions that ultimately
conduct the wider structure of the episode. The game turns into a conversational dance, side-stepping questions about your allegiances and ducking through traps. A tactical minefield, you are forced to fully consider all your options, possible outcomes and allegiances throughout all your decisions. These situations are characteristically difficult to navigate, and though you get the sense that with some conversations the outcome would always be the same in the end, most of the possible decisions presented to you seem to be completely opposite in terms of outcomes. For example, playing as a Forrester handmaiden to Margaery Tyrell, speak with Cersei and she asks about your alliances with House Stark vs. your allegiance to the King. You can either admit your alliances with the Starks and really piss her off, or you can do as Margaery has told you and mindlessly back good old King Joffers. Two options that pose two very different outcomes from your conversation, that need to be considered alongside all your other motives in about 6 seconds.

The fact that you play as three different members of the Forrester house in the first episode allows you to see more of the famous characters, locations and events from the beloved series. Playing as Gared Tuttle, players see a certain infamous wedding, and will be at the wall in the next episode, Ethan Forrester allows the player to be truly put in the drivers seat as they lead the house as Lord, and Mira Forrester, Margaery's handmaiden, takes the player to King's Landing to mix with the Lannisters. Through this, Telltale has managed to cram the entire Game of Thrones universe into the player's experience without confusing or overwhelming the narrative.

The slightly watercolour-y background sets the tone for the equivalent time period that the Game of Thrones universe it set in, and also allows you to maintain a focus on the words being said, rather than being distracted by extravagant scenery.  In terms of animation, however, there are a few issues I would like to see dealt with over the next episodes. At certain points it felt like the images were moving slower than the sound, and certain movements and cut-scenes glitched or were frozen for a short while. However, this game's main asset is its storyline, and as long as you know your Game of Thrones (or at least have someone there who can keep you informed), this will be two hours of well-spent shock, sweat, and panic that will leave you frantically Googling the release date for episode 2.

Dead Island: My PS3 Struggle, Why I Will Never Shop in Game Again, and How I Got A Free Forrest Gump DVD

STORY TIME!

In the Christmas of 2012, I was 16 years old with a ton of exams and very little money. Owning a PS3 was 100% out the question - they were still going for far more than I could hope to afford, and even if I was handed the money and went and bought the console, I couldn't afford any games for it. It would just be a really expensive decorative item. But then my younger sister managed to land one
of those elusive Saturday jobs, and splashed out on a PlayStation with her first pay packet (I was earning £30 every fortnight). It was revolutionary. I remember it like it was the biggest event of my life (and to be fair at that point it came largely secondary to ASs and Uni applications), my sister called me while I was out and gave me the news. Immediately I stormed into the nearest CeX and picked up the first game I saw - just to check out the system. I didn't know at that time that I had started what was going to be the most enjoyable gameplay experience I have yet to encounter, and as I handed over the £10 note (regrettably I had to forego the Subway I had planned for later as a result) and received my copy of Dead Island back, I felt sound in the knowledge I was jumping on the up-to-date gaming bandwagon.

Funny, gory, and just all round fun to engage in, Dead Island quickly became the only game played on the PS3. My sister had Skyrim and GTA for it but rarely got a word in edge ways in terms of the ownership of her PlayStation. Weapon modifications, the sometimes stunning visuals (you have to remember my gaming largely consisted of £1.50 PS2 games prior to my PS3 revolution), and the constant zombie-bashing opportunities meant I was totally hooked on the game. It was the game that I waited impatiently for my parents to go to bed for, so that I could turn to my sister, give her a look and we would both silently celebrate that it was finally time to play (Mum was not a fan of the bludgeoning, slicing, and electrocuting that had become a large part of my life). It was the game I played with my then-boyfriend for hours, becoming more and more frustrated with his (in my mind) poor technique, and then even angrier when he defeated the 'Thug' zombie in the garage that had managed to outwit me many times before. 

There were a few choice words from my sister when Uni came around and I asked if I could take the PS3. It was a long shot, and I ended up leaving for Exeter with no games console to call my own apart from a £20 PS2 that I bought as a commiseration (and the damn thing didn't work). 

The next chapter in my Dead Island story comes after I was (again) in CeX over the Christmas holidays. Looking at the PS3 section wistfully once more (as was tradition), I see a guy standing in the queue holding a PS3. Something could happen here, and something beautiful did happen. The guy saw me looking at the consoles and asked me if I was looking to buy. Trying to contain my desperate need for some kind of console, I said I was and he told me how he was trying to sell - nowhere would take it because the controller was pretty busted. He offered it to me for £50. This is a guy in the street, trying to sell me not only a PS3 but also a story about how he's getting rid of all his stuff to move to Paris to be with his girlfriend (I was wary). We agreed at £35, I had no idea if it worked or not and he really wanted to shift this PS3 - I didn't dwell on his dubious story, I wanted that damn PS3. It was glorious, mostly because it worked. I had pulled off every dream I ever had since those lonely days of 2012 and gained a 120gb PS3 slim for £35 that worked as if it were brand new (and got a free Forrest Gump DVD that was still inside - bonus). It says a lot about a game though, when I say that the only reason I was still searching for a PS3 at that time was to play Dead Island again at uni. And I did. I finished Dead Island in my second term after having to restart it with uni mates after we holed up in my friends room which I dubbed 'The PlayStation Station'. Playing Dead Island all day, everyday for about 3 weeks, it was a race to finish the game before term ended for summer. We managed it with literally minutes to spare before one of us had to leave for home, after a very tense boss battle and a lot of screaming.

So when I was in Game looking for Dead Island Riptide on my 19th birthday, I was shocked when the employee asked why I wanted such a 'crap' game. I put him firmly in his place, admittedly to the embarrassment of my mother, and walked out the shop. I know Dead Island gets some stick - the trailer built up a lot more expectation for the storyline than was necessary for a game with little emphasis on story, but it's still my go-to game for an assured good time. It lends itself to casual, do a mission here, build a weapon there gameplay ideal for half hour sessions if you've got somewhere to be, but can be played for hours on end at the same time. Play for days and never be put in the same situation twice, even if you die and have to restart something. You're always moving forward in this game, the zombies stay dead even if you end up dead with them, meaning you are always progressing - something that keeps bringing me back to the island and its characters.

Dead Island 2 is PS4 only. This is a circular story because there is no way I can afford a PS4 right now. I might just have to start dropping hints at my sister or hang around CeX in a couple of years looking for a shifty guy moving to Paris. 

Dead Trigger 2 Review

Dead Trigger 2 was released in October of last year and is now proudly displayed in the App Store 'Zombie' section. I say proudly because, even though I've only had a handle of good, long sessions with it, I can safely say it is one of my favourite games I have played on iOS. And it's free. 

I'm fairly new to the game, but my first impressions are that this is an iOS classic. It's fun and easy to dip in and out of but if you have the time you can easily lose a good few hours running the battery down on whatever device you choose - I've tried it on iPod but a bigger screen allows for less claustrophobic gameplay, but as a zombie game perhaps that's a bonus to iPod and iPhone play. 

Employing a first person shooting stance governed by two primary controls: move around with left and look around with right, the game is set around a series of search and rescue / fix this very important commodity missions with various in game rewards. From the map screen, select your mission (be it a side mission you encountered before, a new mission to progress, or a challenge of the day type battle), using your hideout as an hq of weaponry, health, and gold mining. The missions get heart-racingly challenging, especially playing on iPad - turning round after defeating a horde of pumpkin headed zombies (celebrating the game's Halloween-ish birthday) only to find one gnawing on your shoulder has sent my iPad flying after desperate attempts to shoot. 

The controls fit the iOS design - simply move to look at your enemy, line up the crosshair, and the trigger pull comes naturally. By this I mean the game shoots automatically. This kind of frustrated me at first - I couldn't line up the perfect headshot without already shooting the guy half a dozen times. But it's an easy way to get the look and feel of movement on a console game on an iOS device that requires a simpler set of controls, and it makes the game slightly easier, so you feel like a boss. 

The story-line isn't that developed - the main basis is that you have been dropped into a zombie apocalypse, saved, and taken to a safety base by a woman you met in a tunnel. After that, it's more the completion of missions set in an impressively large set of locations, the simple controls, and the thirst for zombie blood that will keep bringing you back to Dead Trigger 2. 

SUPERHYPER review

There is rarely a new iOS game that really brings my life to a halt. It took some getting used to, but once you've retrained your brain to swipe left, right or up whenever faced with any flash of an obstacle (because your thumbs do have to become blurs across the screen) you're in for a pretty damn fun time. In truth, the game is disgustingly addictive. Its simplistic design and feel force you to question all skill you thought you ever had in gaming and return to the days of just trying to get pixels to stay on the screen.

It's refreshingly simple but diabolically tricky. Swipe left and right to guide a ball down a track with various pitfalls and obstacles to overcome and watch your life fade away behind the screen of your phone. 

It really is a brilliant new release from Sets and Settings and one I will definitely be spending a lot of time procrastinating with. 

eShop Splurge: Jett Rocket 2: The Wrath of Takai

When I visited eShop yesterday in the hopes of finding something entertaining I didn't know I was embarking on a voyage of procrastination and general life destruction. Having not heard of the Jett Rocket series before I was curious to download Jett Rocket 2 after watching some videos and reading a promising description. Nintendo eShop definitely delivered on this one though, and despite some minor gameplay glitches it's easily one of my best purchases.

The game itself is comfortably light-hearted, though I have a feeling the storyline would be more emersive with the knowledge of the previous title. The player completes stages up towers of many levels to collect little robotic orbs which I assume have something to do with saving the world in this addictive, sometimes tense little platformer. Though the minigames on every other level leave a lot to be desired, they are a great little incentive for the obsessive hoarding of collectables in the main story mode.
Visually the game is surprisingly tactile - the look and feel of the game suggests a more developed Crash Bandicoot in terms of style and immature brightness. However what really gets me about this game is the simplicity of facing the many challenges that different elements of the gameplay combine to achieve. There is a very real sense of accomplishment at finally working out how to proceed in a level without being mercilessly destroyed by small balls of red or a gang of robots and it's a perfect time killer with the length of each level sitting in a perfect medium between being full of content and yet being completable.

A couple of glitches - for example I have had one experience of the game crashing at a Game Over screen which didn't incur any significant damage to my life as it was, unfortunately, game over. Some minor playback issues like the character seeming to stay fixed in mid air to grab onto an item when he shouldn't really make the jump but apart from these little infractions from perfection, the game is a must-download.

Follow me on Twitter: @MusingsTwit

eShop Splurge: Heavy Fire Special Operations 3D

Despite the gut-wrenchingly corny opening audio (a deep American testosterone junkie telling you to 'lock and load') this game was a bit of a risk paid off well for me. I was nervous about downloading the game partly because it looked too fast paced to not be incredibly frustrating and partly because the graphics didn't look top notch. The graphics look better in game but still aren't all that promising. Other aspects of the game shine through though - the feel of the action is incredibly exhilarating. What looked from the trailers to be a  fast paced, adrenaline pumping game play is delivered in real life but with controls that make the intensity enjoyable. Admittedly it took me a few hits to realise that the touch screen is used for aiming and the R and L shoulder buttons for shooting, but once you get the hang of it it's unforgettably addictive. This game-play is handily designed for both right and left hand users, with the choice of either the R or L buttons for shooting and the B or 'downwards' action on the analogue-type-contraction for reloading. Different levels and upgrades and repairs of weapons make the game more versatile and dynamic in its development through the many hours of jaw clenching as you begin to fear the red exclamation point. Yes, certain points of the game are harder than others and these have put me off for a while but practice and patience have never been more necessary to fulfil a level's requirements and I kind of like that - it makes me feel productive in my procrastination.

I say all this when really the game is a marked up version of its uglier, less developed predecessors and most of its praise lies in the welcome relief from these heavy, unwieldy games. The concept is still fairly arbitrary and the fact that its only foundation is 'shoot everyone you see (apart from your own American men)' needs to be taken with a large dose of salt.

Simple things like being able to return to your game where you actually left off seem to have come to the minds of Teyon rather late in the day but nevertheless it's definitely a game worth its merit.

After a brief discount in eShop, Heavy Fire Special Operations 3D is back up to £5.49 in the UK and though I perhaps think it would have been better to grab it on the discount, if you really have some time to kill and a spare fiver it's worth a download.

Follow me on Twitter: @MusingsTwit

eShop Splurge: 3D Game Collection

To begin the series of eShop reviews I feel I might start with a game I can imagine doesn't get much of a look in. I've always been dubious of game collections of eShop, I always got the impression they're not likely to be very good - in the range of their games as well as their quality so I was pleasantly surprised when I took a leap and downloaded a discounted "3D Game Collection" for £2. 

Content

Although this was a fear of mine, I wasn't too disheartened to find that many of the games are repeated on the three "home" locations. This was probably due to the fact that there are just so many games on there that I could play for hours. Classic games like Ludo, Battleships, Bingo, Chinese Draughts, Proper Draughts are included as well as surprisingly entertaining Dominoes and Solitaire. It's not exactly mind-blowing stuff but it's great for a 5 minute play. 

Originally selling on cardridge at about £25
now it's in eShop for just £2 

Gameplay

Obviously, the nature of the game means that the actual controls themselves aren't going to be too ambitious. It's a simple touch screen job with the viewing of the action happening on the 3D screen above. That's not to say however that the gameplay is poor - in contrast it feels very tactile and satisfying. The only problem I came across was my own frustration at certain games willing me to lose, impossible dice rolls and just a few too many dubious wins for your AI opponent may leave you grinding your teeth for a while.

Storyline
Again, storyline isn't going to be a main concern of the developers, and it shouldn't be with a collection of small games. The game tracks your tactics and skills in gamplay and adapts its AI opponent to meet those skills, playing a predictable opponent would be pretty dire, the fun would be sucked from the game as it becomes monotonous and boring. However the fact that the computer reacts so quickly to your tactics means it's very difficult to get higher trophies after playing the game a substancial amount of time. I suppose this is just the developers' way of "practice makes perfect". 

Graphics
I was actually impressed with the clarity of the graphics of this game, they're by no means medal worthy but their simplicity definitely brings the phrase 'less is more' to mind. The scenic landscape of your river-side picnic or the view from your satellite as you look out to space, all three locations are designed to create a light-hearted tone for a light-hearted set of games and pleases the eye, even when just strolling across the picture waiting for your turn. 

Music 

It's very difficult to play Ludo on your own -
no need to try anymore!

I didn't think i'd be commenting much on the use of music in a game collection review, and yet I find myself enamoured with it. It is possibly only one location that has set this ideal in my head, and that is the picnic scene. Relaxing and warming, it's sometimes just enough to climb under the covers and plug the headphones in to the soundtrack just to unwind.

The Result 
A brilliant game for a brilliant price at the moment in eShop. Graphics and music that fit perfectly with the unambitious set up of the games and an interesting and diverse range (though they are repeated throughout different locations). Only problems faced are those of difficulty and it's a shame there isn't a setting for this which would really enhance the gameplay when you're not really up for getting thrashed on each game you try.

9/10

Plants Vs. Zombies 2 - I have never spent so much time gardening

After I completed Plants Vs Zombies on ios all those months ago I felt the same deflated feeling that one would imagine pre-warns death. Like you've done everything you can and you just have to let go. But then my soul was resurrected when I heard news of Plants Vs Zombies 2 finally hitting the app store. It was a glorious day when I could hit that 'install' button on my iPod and hold in my hands a new lease of life for free. I was not disappointed. The game begins with a few instructions and tips concerning the new content - the power ups for example and the new plants that take seconds to master, before taking you on a whirlwind journey with Crazy Pete through Ancient Egypt and Pirate lands all in clear, bright graphics with colours and visuals that supersede the previous.



So, what's new?
- There are loads of new plants to play around with and choose from as well as the old favourites that just get the job done.

By far my favourite - I think he's
just misunderstood 

- A more challenging interface forces you to return to previous levels and complete individual missions to gain stars in order to continue the game. I argue that this feature is possibly one of the best of the game - giving you hours of interesting, unique gameplay which is often unheard of in a free download.
- Crazy Pete isn't exactly new but he's crazier in my opinion - and we all know the crazier Pete is the better the experience
- New zombies which you will learn to fear and counteract with only specific plants making gameplay a lot more versatile
- Plant food is now available to boost up your plants for a short amount of time. This has proved to be very handy in situations where there seem to be no way out until you notice, out of the corner of your panicked eye, a green glowing zombie's head roll across the board. You dive for the plant food that's now bouncing around the screen, taking a few jabs to actually catch the bugger until you have it in your arsenal and you can turn what was once a lowly little plant into a zombie thrashing machine and save the day. Needless to say, it has saved my lawnmowers many a game.
- Power ups have been introduced and are used when even the plant food can't save you. There's a bucket head zombie attacking your last sunflower on the left hand side and you can't lose any lawnmowers to get the star you've been working for hours for. What do you do? Obviously you just pick him up and flick him away. Simples. Why were you even panicking? Unless you have no coins. Then you're f**ked.

What's everyone else saying? 

Reactions are pretty similar to mine. We all love the new game and have probably lost days worth of work productivity to its addictive tower defense system. Some are arguing that the in-game costs have put them off a bit but as far as my knowledge goes the only costs you encounter are to purchase more coins or plant food and that's not necessary to the game, in fact it kind of ruins it a bit - like cheating. To be honest, they could have easily brought this game out at a £2.99 charge and still incur in-game costs so to download it free and receive hours of gameplay for nothing sounds pretty legit to me.

Overall, I love the game. It's new interface allows for more player control in terms of which levels you complete when and the star / key incentive to go back and repeat levels with unique goals each time will be bringing me back to the game for months, i can already tell. If your ios is up to it, it's a definite must-have.

Follow me on Twitter: @MusingsTwit

I'VE GOT ANIMAL CROSSING

I was verrry happy to pick up my copy of Animal Crossing recently and even happier to finally start controlling a whole town, full of fuzzy little creatures. Now, forgive me, but i was a total Animal Crossing virgin before I picked up a copy of the game in HMV last weekend and had to wait a whoooole day to play it because apparently it wasn't socially appropriate at a sleepover... dafuuuuuuqqqq?? ;) Anyway, my night owl town 'Oblivion' is underway, with developments coming from everywhaar. My favourite hobby is probably catching bugs, it's the satisfying feeling of hitting your net against that tree trunk and trapping a poor little Brown Cicada in a wiry dome of fate <--- bit weird there. Fishing is perhaps a second favourite, though the anger at reeling in too quickly and scaring the fish away has literally almost caused my 3DS console to be snapped in half on a number of occasions.

:')

I was always a bit wary of the Animal Crossing series because on paper it seems slightly boring. It's just a little mundane life, but who knew mundane life could be so interesting when it's shared with fuzzy animals and museums and gardening shops. I can see the potential now for a deceivingly large game, as everyone has already pointed out. It feels like it can give so much more, and the brilliant thing is it also feels like it WILL give so much more, you just have to be patient.

So basically, i've retired from zombie hunting and racing chubby italian plumbers round a track and have sought solitude in the grandly tiny world of Animal Crossing.

How Much Are Those Games In The Window???

I know it's a bit late but the releases from Nintendo at this years E3 for Nintendo 3DS were insane. They've been storing these titles for so long leaving 3DS owners parched for gaming material and now we've been dropped in an ocean of upcoming hits. Unfortunately these games have come at a time when I am, for what of a better word, skint and so i can merely dream about owning them all asap. 

I have had time to mull it over now, and i can safely reveal my top most exciting-looking-from-a-distance Nintendo 3DS games of 2013 so far. 

1. Animal Crossing New Leaf

This HAS to be number 1. Without a doubt this is the title I have been most excited about owning. There's  something about the idealistic world that these guys live in and the way you can live out your own little life in a safe, friendly neighborhood filled with little surprises and hilarious gimmicks that makes this game a must-have for any gamer either casual or intense (you can play this game intensely - trust me). I can't speak for New Leaf as much as i can about previous Animal Crossing titles, but from what i've seen in test-plays and reviews is that the multiplayer capabilities of the game are revolutionary as well as the general expansion of the Animal Crossing gameplay that's guaranteed to immerse even the most distracted player in a warm, fuzzy world of awesome. 

2. Luigi's Mansion 2 

I have only played a little bit of Luigi's Mansion 2 but what struck me the most was the humour of the game. It's not every day that I commend a game for it's ability to make me laugh right out loud but little Luigi in his trembling crusade through the refreshingly new locations. So why is this game so exciting? Honestly, I think it's because Luigi's always been the underdog and consumers love the underdog story :P Plus there's of course the expansion of the game from the original Luigi's Mansion, the satisfyingly ingenious boss levels and the breathtaking manipulation of the 3D tool to the point of goosebumps, which is particularly fitting to the theme of the game. The reason i've fallen in love with the game though is probably because i've fallen in love with Luigi's little face. 

3. Donkey Kong Country Returns 

I like the look of this game - the visual look of the graphics i mean. I've never really been one for the typical platformer in all honesty I don't feel like i'm exploring enough - like i'm doing exactly what the game tells me to do. DKCR on 3DS however, is apparently much different. From the screenshots i've seen of it - it seems that the background graphics are stunning - i've played a little of the game but not very far into it and from what i've seen, this assumption is true. What swayed me though, to include this platformer in the top 3, was the excitement of everything going on around you. The idea that this game could ever be called 'boring' is ludicrous, which is why i have some problems with the fact it's a platformer because i find platformers boring... sorry. Yet, I STILL WANT TO BUY IT. That's the beauty of the game, it's more than a platform with a gorilla running across it with a slightly smaller gorilla in tow as they jump across some stuff and then some other stuff. There's stuff going on everywhere, stuff happening around them that you have no hope of controlling, stuff they need to ride, stuff they need to use. It's not as exciting as Animal Crossing and Luigi but it's up there... which has thoroughly confused me. 

So, that's it. Three reviews of top games without even owning them, thanks for reading :) 

Who needs real life??

Layton vs. Ace Attorney

Hello again, it's been a while and i'd like to say that this last month I have been working night and day on the post you are about to witness, slaving over a laptop and typing until i 4get how 2 use proper englsh. However, dear friends, I have been enjoying a summer holiday away from AS levels and didn't... really... think to write... a ... blog. I'm sorry :'(.

So, I bring to you dear readers, my opinion concerning the recent news that a new 3D Layton vs Ace Attorney game is being developed as you read this very sentence. I thought this would be an apt opportunity to talk about dear old Layton, and Phoenix Wright (if he is the protagonist, they do like to change around a bit). I think that Layton would be one of my favourite characters in any video game ever produced. There's something organic about the presentation of the mild mannered Englishman that is rarely seen in video games, and is certainly one of the main USP's of the game. I haven't really played Ace Attorney, but the whole meeting of two games, as similar as they are in content, just doesn't sit right. I'd much rather become engrossed in the plotline of a typical Layton game, for example Curious Village, than have an Ace Attorney, Layton spin off in my 3DS. Since i first stumbled across the cross-over game, the concept has seemed alien and just plain wrong. I feel like a desperate mother watching her prodigal son Layton being led away by an older dodgy looking Phoenix Wright. It seems like the Ace Attorney series has tried to up it's own sales by affiliating itself with the humble but brilliant Professor Layton series. Then again, the other games have sold so they must be doing something right - but it's the principle of the thing...

Review: Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D

What is this? A blog post - on this blog? But Tabs, surely you must realise this isn't Cards and Other Irrelevant Shizz - so why are you posting on this forgotten medium? Because hypothetical me, I have decided that I am woman enough now to handle 2, yes 2, blogs. Woh now. So here goes the new era of gaming blogs for the humble 16 year old gamer with no job and a hell of a lot of exams.

I got Ocarina of Time 3D last year - i'm sorry people - it's taken me a while to review it - let's just say it's awesomeness consumed me into a 3D induced coma. The effects are, and i know this is kind of taken for granted due to the whole brand-new-effects-so-awesome-they-induce-a-coma marketing, pretty mind explodingly incredible - like on Jesus scale. And that's a big scale. That guy is pretty famous. Everyone who is allowed by law to call themselves a gamer has experienced or at least witnessed a Zelda game, and this is Ocarina of Time 3D is an awesome game made just that little bit more awesome.

So let's run through the basics. We all know the plotline, characters, controls blehg blehg blehg - the game is well known - i can't go into that detail. So what sets 3D apart from the rest of the Zelda family. 3D Ocarina of Time is the cool aunt of the family that's so rich she gives you like £100 for your birthday and thinks of herself as tight. 3D Ocarina of Time is the sweet old lady that you call Grandma, who due to recent senility has taken to calling you Ethel, but can still remember that you don't like gravy but love shortbread. Basically, what i'm saying here through the tiring medium of metaphor is 3D Ocarina of Time is the best parts of all families, dysfunctional or technological. From the start - the graphics work overtime to create this ideal world of Link's childhood (something i didn't like was the opportunity to change your name from Link to your actual real name which I never liked doing because that just felt too sad - to actually believe it was you fighting in a dungeon made out of a giant sea blob, but i'm not sure if that is new or not - I cannot remember). You begin with this birds eye view of the world in 3D which is like :O mofo took me into animated world of pixies and shit. Things just get better from there - but one of my favourite features has to be the 'view' option which enables the view on screen to change with the movement of the console. For example, if I had some in-game time on my hands I could go into 'View' mode and just spin around in a circle in my room watching the 3D land go past my tiny, baffled brain. I would probably then go and puke for a bit - but after that the spinning would happen again. A vicious, but exhilarating cycle.

So, all in all, if you own a 3DS, are planning to own one, or even if you don't own one - you should steal one right out of GAME just to play Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D. Thank me after the court case.

SSX World Tour

So, to kick start this brand spanking new blog, let's talk about a PS2 game that has been, as many PS2 games have been, overlooked. My first impression of SSX World Tour was that it was a lot like SSX Tricky, it's more famous younger brother, however it was a lot more personal to your actual snowboarder. For example, no longer do I have to choose between a Canadian 13 year old called Marty and obvious anorexic lesbian Elise. I create my own, skinnier, definitely more athletic and taller snowboarding version of myself. G
ameplay itself is not as quick as Tricky, nor is it as detailed. But there's something about the way you can progress through the levels that makes the game so... playable. It sounds wierd but some games give you the individual satisfaction of moving forward, of completing at least one task in the day while some others let you mope about in your own sad world of non-completion, googling what you're supposed to do and running round in virtual circles. I was wary of World Tour after buying SSX Blur on Wii on which I will shortly create a heated revant (review / rant), however, it has proved itself to be a worthy 15 minute escape to a

virtual snow world where you can defy gravity, survive 100 foot jumps and remove pedestrian ski-ers' hands with your trusty expensive snowboard.