The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Putting my prejudice for nostalgia behind me, I sucked it up and played The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.  This game hit all the right notes for me.  It reminded me of all the things I loved from the original game without cramming them down my throat.  The music, enemies, surroundings, everything was just right and kept me aware that I was playing a classic Zelda game.

Additionally, the developers made sure to advance the game forward, making it relevant today.  The graphics were hugely improved.  The learning curve and difficulty were much more balanced that previous titles.  There were more quests and collectibles which helped to make the game as short or long as you wanted it to be.

All too often, our generation clings to their childhood so hard that we all end up stuck with sub-par products.  I know people want to play a classic 8-bit game with terrible music and no save files, but some players want to see developers stretch the current technology and blow minds.  While A Link Between Worlds didn't break the mold as far as game design goes, it shows how easy it can be to make a game that serves to both old school and new school players.

Lego Marvel-ous!

Yes.. I went there.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes is so flipping fun you guys.  I literally can not stop playing it.  It's one of those games that you start playing, and then you think, "Wow, I should really get to bed."  Then 2 hours later you're still playing because you need to unlock Ms. Marvel oo and Ghost Rider ooo and Red Hulk oo and....  it just never ends.

That's the best part.  The story is fun to play, and has all of the elements you expect from a Lego game.  It's silly and funny, and overall fairly easy.  I have to say that some of the puzzles in this Lego iteration truly did leave me puzzled.  I actually had to Google a level because I could not figure out how to progress after I had run around, looked and destroyed everything.  That is the one thing I trip up on in this game - I don't know all of the characters so I'm not sure what all of their special skills are.  It doesn't make it less fun, but it does mean I spend some extra time trying and failing.

I have to say that the games have become more and more polished as they've gone along too.  In the early games (Star Wars, Harry Potter 1...) you could free play, but you only had access to a few of your characters.  Now, even when you free play the levels, you have access to everyone you've unlocked.  And you can save and quit at any time.  Amazing!  I think the characters are more dynamic in Marvel too.  They all have interesting and different animations which makes it fun to branch out from your initial favorites.

Probably the most fun development is the free world map.  The game is based in New York City, and in between levels you can free play the city.  There are about 150 mini side quests to unlock characters and gold bricks.  You can run, fly, drive, and explore the city from the subways to the rooftops.  It's basically an adorable version of GTA IV.  I love it.  I do not love the racing quests, because I am horrible at driving and I think that they flying characters are hard to control... so that gets really frustrating really fast.  But what's life without a few challenges?

So if you like Marvel, Lego, or just plain having fun this is the game for you.  I highly recommend it.

Diabolical!

Although I have not reviewed it, I have played an thoroughly enjoyed Professor Layton and the Curious Village. Now I've gotten through maybe half of Diabolical Box and thought I'd give it a shout out. (Yes I should've gotten through more before reviewing, but it's like this: my 2 year old discovered the DS. I rarely get to play now.)


Story 8.5/10: It's not incredibly creative - a strange antique/relic causes mystery and a gentleman detective and his young assistant have to figure out the mystery... Hmm. But it is really fun and catchy, and the Layton games do a great job of expanding the story line through dynamic characters and interesting settings. I really enjoy playing this game and moving the story line along, because it does keep me curious about what I will find in the next room over. Will it be a hilarious character, like a fat lady who thinks her dog is her child? Or an ex-rocker-type who is now a train conductor? The world may never know...but I will as soon as I hit that precious little foot and walk through that door!

Graphics 9/10: I wanted to give it 10/10...well actually I wanted to give it 10,000/10 because I seriously love the art style of this game. I find Professor Layton & all the characters to be so adorably drawn, and the style of the environment around them is really awesome. I feel like I could print screen shots of this game and frame them as art around my home. The only reason I didn't give it the full 10 is because it's all kind of still frame - there's not really any animated action except the cut scenes which, for the DS at least, are really great quality. It's not even that I want it to be action, because I think that would take away from the artistic side of this game. I guess, after all this, it really should've just gotten that 10.



Sound 8/10: The background music for this game is charming, albeit slightly repetitive. And I'd have to put in "Curious Village" again to make sure, but the music might even be the same? (Probably not, probably just the same people creating the sounds.) I wish that we could mix it up. Perhaps let the player unlock different background songs that you can choose from? I do like the voice acting for this game, but I am always wayyyyy too impatient to sit there and actually listen. I'm totally a "Wow I like this voice acting but I am so going to read the closed captions and move on asap" kind of girl.

Gameplay 8.75/10: Again, I'm dinging this one just a little tiny bit because it is still frame and you just click around to move in the environments. This is kind of handy if you're not all that video-game oriented and you don't want to have to direct your character around, but for me it gets a little tedious and I feel like I am just sitting there clicking arrows instead of really immersing into the game. Also, finding the hidden "clue coins" by clicking all over the place? Really fun but also it has its moments where you just want to scream. Clearly I didn't mean to click on that same suitcase three times and hear Luke say, "Wow the Professor knows how to pack neater than anyone else I know!" I don't want to do that. I want to click on the couch cushion and find that darn hidden coin that I just know must be under there.
The puzzle play is fun as always. If you have played "Curious Village" then you know exactly what you're getting into.

Overall 9/10: This game is really amusing, and a great way to pass the time. It's also nice because you can put into it as much time in a sitting as you would want. Have 10 minutes to kill? Get on and play a couple puzzles. Want to lose an hour or more? Get into it and really progress the story line. Like I said, if you played "Curios Village" then you will know exactly, and I mean exactly what to expect with this game. It is very similar in storyline, and exactly the same in gameplay. Just new puzzles. And, thus far, I actually think the puzzles are easier than they were in "Village". Granted, they seem to get more difficult as you move forward in the game, but I specifically recall being a lot more frustrated early on in "Village." I think that this is a ding for "Box" because, well, I like a challenge. Don't get me wrong - I have definitely had some head scratchers and used up a few of my hint coins...just not as many this time as before. But man, I can not resist these early math class puzzles. They are so fun!

Buy/Rent: You know me..I always say Buy - haha. But really I think that the Layton games have a certain amount of replayability. There are quite a few puzzles that have solutions that you can improve your score, and, if you're like me, you could play this game and finish it, then play it again 6 months later and not remember any of the solutions. Oh, recycled joy! DS games are cheap though, and if you buy it you can just play this game at your own pace not have to worry about renting and returning. Do yourself a favor, pick this one up. It's way more fun than Brain Age.

I Found Out the Secret to Monkey Island

The secret to Monkey Island? TEDIUM

Story 7/10: The story is pretty weak, the climax is weaker, and the ending is crap. In defense of SMI (Secret of Monkey Island), it was written and created in 1990.

"The game was originally released on floppy disk in 1990 for Atari ST, Macintosh and PC systems (using EGA graphics)." (Thanks Wikipedia!)

Maybe people expected a lot less back then? Also I guess a floppy could hold like, 10 lines of a word document and then it was full. Doesn't leave a lot of space for the storyline. And I respect their desire to maintain the integrity of the game rather than pump it full of the awesomeness we know now. Like character development.

Graphics 9/10: The graphics functions made this game really fun. You can switch back and forth between the old school 8-bit and the funky fresh restyled graphics. I love that they maintained the original feel of playing a platform game though, even with the 3d look of the new graphics. Although I never played the original SMI, I feel like they maintained the original feel/concept.

Sound 8/10: This music isn't going to win any awards, but I get the feeling it was only slightly retouched from the original and then moved into the new game. Although I fully expected it to, it did not annoy me! Apparently I love island tunes more than I knew. Also I really enjoyed the voice acting in this game. The main character sounds like a total tool, and he's supposed to. My only problem? No option that I could find for captions and sometimes it was really hard to hear/understand. Well, there is always the option to go into the 8-bit graphics which don't have the voice over and they have captioned speaking, but ... well ... I guess I just like the new graphics.

Gameplay 6/10: Remember that time I said that it was so tedious? I am going to repeat that a few times so you know how I felt over the last 5 1/2 hours. TEDIOUS TEDIOUS TEDIOUS. I was pretty excited to play a 'mystery' style game...but man. Going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth (getting the tedium yet??) got SO ANNOYING. Mostly because Guybrush Threewood (the main character) moves achingly slow. Also, and this might just be me, but I had SUCH a hard time figuring out what to do. Sometimes the connections in this game just were not clicking for me. I would have all these items in my inventory and be wondering, "What next?" Then give in and use a hint and it would be like "Go talk to that dude over there and give him something" and I'd wonder, "Who the hell would've ever guessed to do that?!?" This is definitely the kind of game I do not have the patience for, but my husband would excel at. (He has no problem spending hours in a game searching every nook and cranny. See: YEARS spent playing Fallout 3.)

Overall 6/10: This isn't really that fun. I mean, I played it through...but I'm not looking forward to going back and playing it again to get the last 75 achievement points I am missing. Maybe it would mean more to you if you spent hours of your precious 1990 childhood chilling on your old Apple figuring out why Guybrush was such a man-gina...but for me? Not the most thrilling. In fact, I'm a little irritated at GameInformer for making it sound so cool.

Buy/Rent: If you could, this is definitely a renter. I finished it in about 5 1/2 hours. But since it's Xbox Live Arcade, you have to buy if you want to fly. Really when you think about it, it's only about $10 for a lot of hours of entertainment. More than you get for $10 at a movie. Or eating McDonald's one and a half times. I don't know...if you like adventure/mystery games, and you're totally bored some weekend, and have 800 Xbox points just lying around...go for it. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Legos have been fun since I was 4

I am notorious for not finishing a game before reviewing, but for Lego Batman I can't really even begin to review. I have played part of it before but just picked it up today at GameStop for $20, which is awesome. They are running a special and I was happy to fill in my Lego game collection. I have played and plan to review Star Wars The Complete Saga & Indiana Jones, just haven't gotten there yet.

Anyways, Lego Batman, cheap at a store near you! I can't decide if it's cheap because they want to push it or because it is sucky and they're like "crap get this off our shelves." In my opinion it is not the most fun Lego game, that title is strictly in the hands of Star Wars The Complete Saga. It is so amazing and fun. Indy was fun too, but I am less a fan of Indiana Jones so I don't know how much that swayed me. Batman is least fun so far, because I think that it is kind of hard to maneuver the "menus" (batcave/asylum) compared to the school or the cantinas from the other two games.

Also, Star Wars had a leg up on these two because there is such a variety of characters. You can choose between 6-ish characters that do the same needed attack, instead of one character who can do the attack in 6-ish different outfits. It is much more fun to choose your favorite Jedi than it is to choose your favorite outfit.

I feel slightly less attached to Batman because I thought it would be based on the movies but it is based on the comics. Not that I wouldn't love to read the comics, I just never have, and I am less familiar with them. Although as I become more and more nerdy, and do more comic-based research, I am lead to wonder how on Earth Harley Quinn has not been in a Batman movie? That chick is amazing!! In defense of Batman, I also had not seen and am not really that fond of the Indiana Jones movies, so ... well .. I guess Star Wars has the unfair advantage. (Not unfair really, Star Wars just rules.)

Basically to sum up the reason I wrote this post:
1 - I am back from not posting. We had family here and I was unable to spend my quality time with the interwebs.

2 - I found myself fantasizing about Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 this morning. Basically I love the Lego franchise and think it is so fun. And Lego HP will probably be the ultimate for me. I can't wait to play for the Wizard's Cup. Or -OMG- QUIDDITCH@?!? Seriously!?

Grand Theft Auto IV

Another delicious taste of pure anarchy from the Grand Theft Auto lineup. And what can I say? IV delivers. Although, in my opinion (which you obviously want because - hello - you're reading my blog), this game is freaking hard. Not necessarily the concepts. Maybe just the controls?

Story 9/10: Niky, Niky... If you can play this game and not fall for Niko Bellic, I just don't know. You must be made out of steel. I love the story-line and how it progresses with Niko. You are constantly finding out just tidbits abou this life before he came to America. And everything you find out emotionally ties you to him as a character/person. Actually, I cared so much for Niko that it made me angry that I didn't have more options to be a "good guy". I wished GTA & Fable would have a little game baby where I could cause mayhem but maybe also be good. Niko wanted to come to America for a fresh start, and here I am with my Xbox just making him shoot drug dealers all day long. I guess, in a way, he's doing good for society?

Graphics 9/10: The graphics on this one are solid. I mean, there is a LOT going on in this game and I think that it is all handled well and with great detail. I love the chance to change Niko's clothes (although I wish there were even more options). The detail and damage system for the cars/motorcycles/boats/helicopters etcetc is great. Also - non-graphic related - I think the cars last longer in this GTA than they have in previous versions. Longer lasting car = more mayhem = more fun! The cutscenes are fun to watch, and play out kind of like a movie. This whole game is like watching a Scorsese film, actually.

Sound 10/10: I'm sorry, but I have to do it. I have to give GTA the 10. Most of the time in this game you are in a car. And what does GTA offer in the car? Your choice of TONS of radio stations. It is so sweet. I prefer Liberty City Rock, although the talk radio station is good for a laugh. I also enjoy the voice-overs in this game. Although I have to play with closed-caption on because half the people are so heavily accented I can't understand them. Believeable, but CC is a requirement.

Gameplay 7.5/10: Okay this is where I ding you, GTA4. I love you and all, but seriously? Could driving a car be any more difficult? And then trying to shoot and drive?? It's like punishment. And there are a LOT of missions where you have to shoot someone and follow them in your car at the same time. I feel like I need a second player to do one or the other because I just can't seem to do it. I'm failing missions left and right on this thing. The race missions? Forget about it. I don't know HOW you get going fast and take a turn without totally losing it (if you know, please please comment I need to pass some of these races!!). The walking around and shooting is pretty concise though, and with practice I've gotten sort-of-fairly decent. I'm not exceptionally good at this style of game, so I don't expect to excel. I don't expect to struggle like crazy either.

Overall 9/10: This game is awesome. It is fun. The map is unbelieveably gigantic. The options are so vast it's close to limitless. One bummer? All I heard was the hype for this game - it's going to be so huge, they actually used NYC blueprints to create the game, etcetc. Well, I'm bummed that I can't go into more buildings. Unless it's part of the current mission you're playing you are pretty limited. There are maybe 5 or 6 shops/bars/restuarants you can go into on each island, and they are mostly repetitive from island to island. It's just kind of a bummer. If you go to all the work of making the game look like a real place, how about treating it more like a real place? Open up a few more buildings for us to explore.

Buy/Rent: As always, I am far from finishing this game at time of review, but it plays a lot like any other GTA I've played. And that means Buy. There is never a time when it isn't fun to throw this game in and tear some shiz up. You can tear around town in a sports car, or a semi-truck, or any other myriad of vehicles. Your choice! And with guns! Go now and buy buy buy!