REVIEW – Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)

A Game Review by Greg Dabkey

Game – Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Version – 3DS
ESRB Rating: ‘E10+’ – Everyone 10 and up
Price: $39.99
Release Date: 8/11/2013
Obtained – Courtesy of my wallet

Will this game be a giant snoozefest or will it be the RPG of your dreams?  Read on to find out how this one stacks up!

Story/Plot

Mario, Luigi, Peach and residents of the Mushroom Kingdom were invited to the Pi’illo Kingdom to improve relations with their kingdom.  On their journey over, Luigi falls asleep and has a nightmare when Antasma invades him dream.  It makes the ship lose control and crash land, thankfully just outside the Pi’illo kingdom.  They discover that some new residents reside in the Pi’illo kingdom as the Pi’illos mysteriously disappeared many years ago.  Mario and Luigi find the ancient Pi’illo artifact and come to discover it was a petrified Pi’illo.  They learn that Antasma had shattered a Nightmare stone and caused the Pi’illos to be encased within their dreams.  They rescue a few different Pi’illos before Bowser arrives.  Bowser then travels to the Dream world and teams up with Antasma and helps him escape the dream world and they both capture Princess Peach.  Can Mario and Luigi save the day again and restore the Pi’illo kingdom and save Peach?

Gameplay & Controls

Mario and Luigi: Dream Team brings back the same RPG gameplay, and controls.  Fans familiar with the series should feel right at home already having a leg up on the controls and how the game works.  Basically the player controls Mario and Luigi and they traverse through the Pi’illo kingdom.  There are enemies in which triggers a battle sequence when either Mario or Luigi touch the enemy or if the enemy touches them.  The combat is simple and pretty interactive, like the rest of the series.  They have a basic jump and hammer command and the bros attacks also return.  For those that don’t know the bros attacks use bros points (BP) which acts similar to magic points in an RPG.  Basically they are a much more powerful attack.  The combat hasn’t changed, but to those new to the series, you can deal additional damage by using the A (for Mario) or B (for Luigi) buttons at the perfect time.  The game gives you plenty of practice at the beginning to learn the timing.   You can also counter particular enemy attacks or able to dodge if the buttons are pressed at the ideal time.

One of the main things with this game was the excessive hand-holding.  Every time something new is learned it takes you to the pause screen or the demo or some sort of menu.  They also remind you at every opportunity you can review it at any time.  It would be ideal to be able to disable these controls, since afterall this is the 4th game in the series.  Anyways, another new feature to this game is the dream world.  Luigi and lay down on a petrified Pi’illo or at a dream point and instantly fall asleep.  Mario then enters the dream world.  He is then joined by dreamy Luigi.  The ‘real’ world is more 3D, and the dream world is only 2D platforming.  Combat also occurs in the dream world, but dreamy Luigi merges inside of Mario for some additional attack power.  Mario’s attacks also includes Luigi clones if the buttons are timed right and receive a “Great” or “Excellent” causing additional damage.  Instead of bros attacks, Mario learns Luiginary attacks which are basically bros attacks, but with dozens of Luigis replacing the single Luigi.  Also at specific times there is the Dreamy “mega” Luigi battle where they do the epic sized battles found in Bowser’s Inside Story.  Mario acts as a helper and assists Luigi do his attacks, and these are done with the stylus with the 3DS turned on it’s side.

Basically the same gameplay is brought over for Dream Team with the intriguing story line.  The same bean collection and moves return (hammer, small Mario, twirl jump.  The game does include a modified tall jump where the bros become a ball to reach higher platforms.  Also Luigi gets a drill spin move to break rocks and do a quick horizontal twirl.  The bros also can get additional equipment by upgrading their ranks at particular levels, in addition to other custom options.  Overall the gameplay is mostly the same, but it is also very fun as I can’t seem to put the game down.  This added in some particular puzzles that had the player think a little what to do.  There are also a variety of mini-games for additional prizes to be one.  My favorite addition was the expert challenges, causing the player to be on top of their game.  There are three types of challenges and are completed throughout the journey.  There is the No Hitter, where you basically have to win a battle against each and every type of enemy without taking damage, but the enemy must be granted 1 turn to attack you.  Next is the dodge 10 where the player must dodge 10 attack rounds in a row (can be multiple battles) for battles within that region.  If the player misses a dodge, the counter resets and the player must begin again.  Finally there is the excellent 10 where the player must perform 10 excellent attacks in a row (can be multiple battles), this one is also region based.  There are items that increase your attack or defense based on your expert challenge completion.

Visuals & Sound

The visuals are pretty solid for the 3DS and the same text bubbles are shown throughout.  The 3D can make some pretty cool effects, particularly in battle with some of the bros. attacks.  It is not required to complete any part of the game.  All of the characters have plenty of details and the backgrounds fit the environment very well.  It’s the same typical Mario areas that provide the exclusive environments to each region (Mountain, Desert, Water/Beach, Lava, and Forest).  In terms of sound and music,  many of the same sound effects also return in this one.  The music I did not find anything special, but it also was not anything awful to listen to.  Mario and Luigi’s gibberish also returns in this game as well, which I have always enjoyed.  Unfortunately this game is not really voice-acted and has plentiful text bubbles.  Mario and Luigi have very limited sayings (excluding the gibberish), and none of the new characters have a voice.

Conclusion 

Overall the game is very entertaining and can easily take many hours to complete, especially if you are going after all the challenges, rescuing each and every Pi’illo and the famous beans are hidden throughout the many grounds.  It’s an awesome factor that the collectibles are numbered per region, but some of the expert challenges will be up to the player.  While the game isn’t anything spectacular in the visual or music department, they do provide an engaging environment as the story is pretty solid compared the latest Paper Mario entry.  Finally, it’s the suburb controls that remain in this one giving the player plenty of practice with the bros. attacks, achieving “excellents” and plenty of items to assist with healing, bros points, conditions and other needs.

Final Score: 9 out of 10

+ Excellent story
+ New Expert challenges
+ Returning excellent engaging gameplay
+ Fun humor element remains and fresh
+ Giant boss battles are still fun
+ Dream worlds provide some puzzle solving elements
- Mediocre music selection
- Game is easy, and makes you beat it to unlock “hard mode”

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ALBUM REVIEW – World 1-2: The Complete Collection

Album review by Steve Cullum

Album – World 1-2: The Complete Collection
Artist – Various Artists
Label – Koopa Soundworks
Obtained – Review Copy from Scarlet Moon Promotions

What would you say if I told you there was a collection of 34 tracks from various video games available via download or a three-disc set? What if I told you that list included songs from Mario, Sonic, Metroid, Zelda, Fire Emblem, and more? What if I told you many of the tracks are performed by the original artists? If you’re getting excited, you may want to read on to find out what Koopa Soundworks’ “World 1-2: The Complete Collection” is all about.

Content

I must start out talking about the sheer size of this collection. It brings past projects in with new ones into a massive 34 tracks from various games throughout history. It ranges from Tetris and Mega Man X3 to Street Fighter II and Metroid Prime. The collection itself is quite vast. Despite your favorite game genre, platform, or composer, most listeners will find something they enjoy. In fact, if you are like me, you will also increase your preference list as you listen to the rest of the track list.

From a Nintendo standpoint, they did a great job of collecting songs from the top franchises. You have first-party games like Super Mario World, Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid Prime, Fire Emblem, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You also have third-parties like Mega Man (3, 5, & X3), Tetris, and Street Fighter II. Not only did they pick popular franchises, but they also chose some of the popular songs from each game. You will definitely recognize the songs from Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Mega Man, for example. All in all, it seems that any Nintendo fan will be delighted to hear tunes from their favorite game.

(The full tracklist is available at the bottom of this review.)

Production Quality

While this is a collection, meaning that many different artists and groups have come together, the overall quality is extremely high. Many of the songs have a full orchestra, while others seem like they are composed using computers. Either way, they all sound fantastic. Many of the songs are even remixed, in order to add their own syle and flavor to the popular tune. Sure, some fans may not enjoy this, but I believe most will be very pleased with the outcome. It will be hard to complain about the quality of the music and the overall production value in World 1-2.

Value

With 34 tracks, it is easy to assume this collection will cost you over $30. It is, however, lower than that. You can grab the three-disc set for $24 (USD), or you can download the entire collection for a mere $16. For those of you math fanatics out there, that is about 47 cents per track. On top of that, they even give you the option, via BandCamp.com, to download the songs one-at-a-time for $1 per track. Honestly, I believe downloading the full album is the best value. Even though $24 might not seem like a large sum of cash, it is significantly more than the download-only price. Still, it might be worth it for those who want higher than mp3-quality sound or those who want a limited-edition package. In the end, all the options make it a great value for any video game music fan.

FINAL SCORE: 9.5 out of 10

World 1-2 is a great collection of video game music from a long list of fantastic composers and artists. Fans of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Fire Emblem will certainly be pleased with this collection. In fact, it may even get them, if they haven’t already, to broaden their tastes for all video game music. If you are looking for a large collection that will not break the bank, go ahead and order World 1-2: The Complete Collection from Koopa Soundworks.

+ Large and vast collection.
+ High production value.
+ Remixes add new flavor.

- Remixes might be too much for some fans.
– Not enough Nintendo music (only halfway kidding; we are a Nintendo site, after all).

—————

Full Tracklist

Andi Bissig – Waldfest 02:16Manami Matsumae – One Shot, One Kill 02:52ABSRDST – The Cold Ruins of a Once Great City (Metroid Prime) 05:53Chipzel – Tokyo Skies 03:54Agent Whiskers – Resurgence of Hope 03:56Benjamin Briggs – Driving Upwards 05:16Marius Masalar – Maybe a Time of Miracles (Sworcery) 06:14Eirik Suhrke – Corrosion Jam (Spelunky) 02:40Keiji Yamagishi – Memories of T 02:18Danimal Cannon and Zef – Legacy 05:15halc – Blooper Reeling (Super Mario World) 03:17Akira Yamaoka – Rose Cat 05:13Jessica Curry – Twenty One 02:51Circles (feat. Tina Guo) 03:30Mosaic (feat. Cory Johnson) [Tetris] 05:19Benjamin Briggs – Trolls! (Trolls) 04:38halc – Dubsection (Final Fantasy Tactics) 03:23Module – The Night Fighter (Street Fighter 2) 03:23Eiko Ishiwata Nichols – Miasma Rising 04:42Video Game Orchestra – Victory (Captain Tsubasa 2) 07:29Monomirror – Descent (Metroid) 05:21Nightswim – A Crook Man’s Eyes (Mega Man 5) 03:38Cory Johnson – The Gerudo Ritual (Ocarina of Time) 03:55Manami Matsumae – One Shot, One Kill (Revisited) 03:12Video Game Orchestra – Full Focus (Super Hexagon) 04:20halc – Blast Radius (Mega Man X3) 03:10ABSRDST – Unified (Fire Emblem) 06:06Agent Whiskers – Wrath of the Tiger (Captain Tsubasa 2) 04:14Ben Prunty – Hot Machine, Cold Surface (Metroid Prime) 03:34Insert Rupee – Lost Our Marbles (Sonic The Hedgehog) 04:03AES – My Kind of Blues (Mega Man 3) 05:25The OneUps – I Do It for the Faeries (The Legend of Zelda) 03:58Benjamin Briggs & Theory of N – Pride of Nations (Captain Tsubasa 2) 03:07Xavier “mv” Dang – Primal Perspective (Parasite Eve) 06:55

Purchase/Listen to the Complete Album

You can currently listen to the album in its entirety, view photos of the limited edition packaging, and purchase the collection on Bandcamp:

http://koopasw.bandcamp.com/album/world-1-2-the-complete-collection

About the Koopa Soundworks

Koopa Soundworks is a label founded in 2012 with the primary goal of bringing together artists from across the globe to create high-quality collaborative projects that adhere to the simple and succinct motto, “Good Music.” While based in Kuwait, Koopa Soundworks also hosts top-class sound engineers and composers from Switzerland and Japan, making it an international music house influenced by artists all around the world.

NES-era legends Manami Matsumae (of Mega Man) and Keiji Yamashigi (of Ninja Gaiden) joined the team Koopa Soundworks as composers and co-planners, and were most recently joined by some of the most well-respected composers from the East and West–as well as the top talent from the chiptune, game music remixing, and game music tribute band scenes–to create the hugely popular World 1-2 album and its follow-up, Encore.

The team is currently busy working on new and exciting projects, which you can learn more about on the label’s official website: http://koopa.tv/.

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REVIEW – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (3DS)

A Game Review by Greg Dabkey

Game – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
Version – 3DS
ESRB Rating: ‘E’ – Everyone 
Price: $29.99
Release Date: 9/24/2013
Obtained – Courtesy of GameMill

Will this game be all clear skies and fun, or will it be cloudy with a chance of not being so good?  Read on to find out!

Gameplay & Controls

The gameplay of this game may be quite familiar if you played Fruit Ninja,  or Cake Ninja.  Basically the player will have a starting time of 1 minute and various items will be tossed on the screen.  The player must ‘slash’ the food items, and avoid the red clocks or flaming marshmallows.  The touch screen will show a grey version of the food and where to slash and if it’s one of the bad items, it will be entirely red.  However, the player will need to keep an eye on the top screen as further along the player gets bonus points for slashing in the food item in a particular direction (shown with an arrow).  Also, throughout the session, some random gifts are tossed and often travel quite fast  which if slashed awards either an item for an invention, or some type of unlock-able.  There are also bonuses such as extending the time by a couple of seconds.  If the player slashes the flaming marshmallow the level is ended immediately.  When the level ends, the score is calculated and the player is given a 0-3 star rating.

There are 6 ‘worlds’ each with 6 levels.  There are also some challenges which are unlocked when the player gets a certain number of stars.  These are more endless modes for some practice or just setting a high score.  The unlock-ables are just characters to use their voice during the main story mode, or some blue prints to unlock inventions.  The story mode also has some variety where the player may have to slash a particular food 10 times (while still collecting other food and items), or to complete the level without missing more than 3 food items.  But mostly, it is just going after the food and avoiding the negative items.  There are some items that take multiple slashes and bonus items that need to be slashed repeatedly.  I was only able to build one of the inventions despite unlocking all 4.  The special items required for building them do not seem to appear very often as I completed all 36 levels and replayed some numerous times for the 3 star rating.

As for the controls, nothing is used besides the stylus.  The stylus is used to slash the food during the game and also used to select the mode.  I would like to point out that the slashing is entirely too sensitive.  If there’s a food item tossed near one of the red items, it becomes incredibly difficult to get the item.  I’ve noticed on numerous occasions where I thought I had a clear shot at the item and the game said I hit both.  Oftentimes it is the item that gives the instant game over forcing me to replay the level.  I understand it is trying to be a little tricky and difficult, but I’ve usually played most of the levels looking at the bottom screen to attempt to avoid the red items on the harder levels.

Visuals & Sound

This section goes half and half for the overall enjoyment of the game.  First off, the good.  The graphics for this game are very well done and each item is filled with detail.  The 3D effects are also very enjoyable and really make looking at the top screen enjoyable.  Now for the not so good part, the music and sounds.  Each of the 11 characters has one particular saying and whenever you slash one of the objects or unlockables, you have to listen to them repeat the one line which can get on the annoying side.  Some of the characters have weird accents or sayings where they get more annoying then others.  Also the music variety is nothing too memorable either and easily forgettable.  The sound effects of the score adding up and the end-of-level options bouncing down also gets on the annoying side as well.

Conclusion 

Overall the gameplay may have that familiar style to other games, however, the theme changes and the food tossed changes.  While there are several unlockables to acquire, some seem somewhat rare making it harder to collect all the inventions.  With the music and sounds more on the lacking side and the controls being somewhat difficult the game could have been better.  The graphics and mode variety try to help distinguish it from similar games and make the game more enjoyable to play.  I would recommend this game to fans of the toss and slash type of gameplay, or even those that are fans of the movie.  The concept is simple enough for anyone may enjoy it and makes it easy to play in small bursts.

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10

+ easy pick and play type of levels
+ variety of modes
+ beautiful graphics and 3D effects
+ plenty of unlockables
- limited sound clips
- sensitive controls
- limited items for inventions
- limited amounts of levels, game is a little short

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REVIEW – Scribblenauts Unmasked (Wii U/3DS)

Game – Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure

Versions – Wii U & 3DS

ESRB Rating – E 10+ – Everyone ages 10 and up

Price – $59.99 (Wii U), $39.99 (3DS)

Release Date - 24/9/2013

Publisher –Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Obtained – Review copies courtesy of 5th Cell and Forty Seven Communications

Scribblenauts Unmasked allows the player to solve puzzles and fight villains with the superpower that is their imagination. Is the game truly limited to what your mind can create, though?

Story/Plot

      Scribblenauts Unmasked puts players in control of Maxwell, a young boy with a magical notebook that allows him to create any object he can imagine. By combining his gift with his sister Lily’s globe that could transport her anywhere she wanted, they were able to travel to Gotham City, where they found that Maxwell’s arch-nemesis Doppelganger had teamed up with various villains in order to seek out the mystical Starites to use their powers for unknown evils.

Although this story never amounts to anything adult gamers would find particularly interesting, it does take Maxwell through areas inspired by some of DC’s key characters including Gotham City, Metropolis and Atlantis. In these areas, Maxwell can either help civilians with their problems, or progress the story by taking on missions. Typically these missions involve a superhero teaming up with Maxwell to fight one of their signature foes and Doppelganger. DC fans will probably be disappointed by the lackluster dialogue and array of featured foes, but the motion comic-styled cutscenes that open and close the game are admittedly quite beautiful, and it’s a shame there weren’t more throughout the game.

Gameplay & Controls

As with every Scribblenauts game, the player can create a vast variety of nouns, and couple them with adjectives that modify their behavior in order to solve various puzzles and complete tasks. For example, I needed to get up to a higher ledge so I created a “giant winged sonic beaver” and was able to fly there quickly. A woman was choking, so I made boxing gloves and repeatedly smacked her until the objects came flying out. I wanted to make my own super hero so I went into Hero Creator Mode, gave an octopus alligator heads on each of his tentacles and sent him out to fight crime under the alias “OctoCroc”. In some ways, the humorous puzzles and solutions compensate for the lack of an interesting story as incentive to progress through the game.

One issue with the series was always that the player might drift towards the same objects to complete their tasks, but in Unmasked repeating words will cut the amount of points you receive in a mission, and “Mr. MXYZPTLK” challenges double your points by changing way you approach puzzles. For example, he might change all the characters on the map into zombies that try to attack you, or he may restrict you to only creating animals and adjectives. These additions shake up the Scribblenauts formula and make it all the more entertaining and challenging.

The DC franchise adds even more depth to the gameplay. Most puzzles do not require any extensive knowledge of DC comics, but coming up with special solutions to puzzles (like knowing that Bizzarro characters are vulnerable to Blue Kryptonite) can certainly satisfy one’s inner comic book fan. For those who aren’t as familiar with the many faces of DC, the Batcomputer that can be accessed at any time and gives brief background information for each hero and object, in addition to allowing players to search for and discover new characters. Although Scribblenauts Unmasked might seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with the DC franchise, the game does an excellent job of accommodating those players as well as entertaining aficionados.

The main issue with Scribblenauts Unmasked’s gameplay arises during combat. Fighting one foe is manageable, but as soon as you get a group of enemies on screen it becomes a jumbled, confusing mess. If other heroes and villains are in the area, they will likely enter the fray, and if you accidentally hit one of the heroes you spawned he will turn on you and start to attack. In a game where you usually have so much control of what’s going on, these battles are an unwelcome, hectic mess.

“I… THINK I’m winning?”

Visuals & Sound

     Scribblenauts is known for its very cutesy, minimalist art style, and it looks even better in high definition on the Wii U. Everything is crisp and clear, and there are some lovely visual effects in the backgrounds of popular DC locations. As a result, browsing through the catalogue of DC heroes just to see what they look like is entertaining in and of itself. Of course, the 3DS version is inferior in terms of visuals, has slightly choppy motions and also does not allow for zooming in and out on the map, which can help the player to find objects and missions far faster. Some gamers may be disappointed to know that the 3DS version has no 3D effects apart from the title screen and two motion comic cutscenes. It’s a shame it wasn’t included beyond that, because it looks great for the total of four minutes that you’ll see it for.

Oa looks pretty gorgeous on the Wii U

The game features some good tracks that capture the feeling of being in a superhero-themed video game. Orchestral sounds that swell up and down are reminiscent of many superhero movies, and keeping the sound on definitely adds a lot to the game. The narrator of the introductory and concluding cutscenes also does an excellent job, and as with the motion comic cutscenes it’s a shame the player doesn’t get to hear more of him.

Final Score:  7.5 out of 10 (Wii U)

                         6.5 out of 10 (3DS)

As with most Scribblenauts games, the true appeal doesn’t lie in the story, but rather in coming up with crazy solutions to different puzzles, and simply messing around with the game’s incredibly vast library of objects, characters and adjectives. If you come in expecting an epic story that caters to DC fans and deep, engaging missions you’ll likely be disappointed, but if you see it as a means of testing the limits of the game’s engine, creating your own objects in the Hero Creator and harnessing imagination, you’ll have plenty of fun. The Wii U version is noticeably superior in terms of visuals, which bleeds over somewhat into gameplay, especially when being able to zoom out of the map can make navigating each level far easier.

+ Huge library of objects, adjectives and DC characters

+ New means of challenging the player to come up with unique solutions

+ Some humorous, silly missions

+ Big, cinematic soundtrack is reminiscent of comic book movies

+ Hero Creator mode makes for unlimited creativity (Wii U)

+ Looks nice in HD (Wii U)

- Fighting mechanics are messy

- Game’s logic can be confusing sometimes

- Simple story will likely disappoint DC Comics fans

______________________________________________________________________________

Alexandre Trottier had always wanted to fight crime as a gigantic, golden puffer fish and thanks to Scribblenauts Unmasked his dream can finally come true. He did an extensive amount of research into the DC Universe before playing the game, and ultimately decided that his favourite character is Topo, Aquaman’s pet octopus, because he can play 5 different instruments simultaneously and is a trapeze artist, among other neat things. You can follow him on Twitter @NF_Alexandre, check out the NintendoFuse forums, and tell us your favourite super hero/object to create in Scribblenauts Unmasked in the comments below! Don’t forget to like and share the article!

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Disney Infinity review: Dream it. Do it.

by Danny Cowan on Aug 19th 2013 1:00PM

Activision's Skylanders series is doing big business – big enough for the House of Mouse to take notice and develop a multi-million dollar competitor. The result, Disney Infinity, shares surface similarities with Activision's series, but its gameplay skews toward an older audience, in the hopes of capturing a universal appeal. Disney Infinity makes a lot of promises, boasting gameplay that takes cues from big-name hits like Minecraft and LittleBigPlanet. The finished product is a rousing success, offering lightweight but solid co-op gameplay built on a foundation of undiluted nostalgia. Disney Infinity is divided between the creation-focused Toy Box mode and Play Set mode, which offers a series of open-world platforming challenges. Gameplay is driven by sculpted figures that sit atop a USB-powered base. Characters that are placed on the base are given life in-game, complete with familiar animations, voices, and abilities.

Both Toy Box and Play Set modes take place from a third-person perspective and share similar gameplay mechanics. While the Skylanders games focus on combat, Disney Infinity takes a different approach, placing more of an emphasis on platforming. The result could frustrate some of Skylanders' younger fans, though adults will appreciate the added complexity.

Disney Infinity players can equip multiple Power Discs, which are physical, blind-boxed bits of plastic that stack underneath character figures and unlock new abilities and Toy Box toys. While the Toy Box bonuses are welcome, stat-boosting Power Discs have a negligible impact on gameplay, largely thanks to Disney Infinity's lack of difficulty or punishment for player death. They might be useful if you need an experience boost or some quick in-game cash, but Power Discs otherwise have very little use during gameplay, even when stacked for bonus buffs.

Toy Box mode comprises a large percentage of Disney Infinity's appeal. Starting in either a pre-built playground or a custom world, players can add terrain and all sorts of interactive elements to a non-canonical Disney universe filled with unlikely crossovers. Players can populate Aladdin's Cave of Wonders with a gang of Muppets, for example, or they can place Disneyland's Haunted Mansion next to Epcot's Spaceship Earth. Even if you have minimal knowledge of Disney movies and characters, you're bound to find a favorite among Toy Box's offerings, and mixing legacy Disney characters with modern-day faces has an unquestionable appeal.

Those who enjoy structureless sandbox games will get the most out of Toy Box mode, but its sheer breadth of content will win over pretty much anyone. Even if you lack the imagination or patience to create a world within Minecraft, Toy Box mode eases the creative process, making it a cinch to craft racetracks, platforms, and various oddball tributes to Disney's legacy.

Multiplayer shines in Toy Box mode. During one session, my partner built a replica of DuckTales' Killmotor Hill, topped with Scrooge McDuck's Money Bin and a small army of wandering Beagle Boys. On a nearby continent, I constructed the world's worst race track, filled with hairpin curves, huge dropoffs, and a finish line placed at the brink of a bottomless cliff. Despite their noble efforts, many Cars figures sacrificed their lives at the hands of Death Track, and it was hilarious.

While much of the content within Toy Box mode can be unlocked by completing Play Set missions, some of it is tied to specific figures. Unfortunately, players will need to purchase full sets of franchise-specific figures in order to access some of the best Toy Box elements (including pre-built Toy Box worlds, large themed structures, and toy characters) via Play Set Vaults. It's worth noting that the bulk of Skylanders' content can be accessed with just a handful of characters, while Disney Infinity's approach to unlockable content basically requires a full set of figures.

Disney Infinity's figure-collection aspect introduces a major drawback to its co-op component. While Toy Box mode is open to all characters, Play Sets are restricted to figures from their respective franchises – Sulley from Monsters University is unable to join the Incredibles Play Set, for instance. As Disney Infinity's Starter Pack only includes one character from each of its featured Play Sets, players will need to purchase several additional figures if they wish to join a partner for the duration of the game's campaign.

Gameplay within all of Disney Infinity's Play Sets is noticeably laid-back, compared to other open-world games. Exploring these worlds with a capable partner in co-op mode is especially enjoyable, as an experienced team can tackle multiple missions and objectives at once, turning gameplay into a satisfying conquest. Outside of challenges, players are free to explore on their own and pursue missions at their own pace, and are rarely at the mercy of their partner's actions.

All Play Sets are also distinct in style. The Incredibles Play Set focuses on open-world action and combat, while Pirates of the Caribbean features shooting mechanics and surprisingly in-depth ship navigation sequences between levels. Monsters University was my personal favorite Play Set, as it involves playing pranks on those uppity snobs at Fear Tech by toilet-papering their trees and tossing firecrackers in their windows.

Though all Play Sets offer a variety of simple, low-impact challenges, they're definitely targeted toward the youth market and pre-teens, in particular. Challenge is practically non-existent, and the lack of complexity may be a turnoff for those who are old enough to play other open-world games.

At the same time, Disney Infinity's challenges may prove too difficult for young children. The platforming challenges could be particularly frustrating, as they require much greater dexterity and coordination than what Skylanders demands. A parent-and-child team is an ideal setup for Disney Infinity, letting kids delegate platforming to adults while they focus on the simplified combat and exploration elements.

Adults who have a fondness for Disney will get the most out of Disney Infinity, thanks to its expansive Toy Box mode, and the Play Sets will provide hours of entertainment for kids who have prior experience with platformers. While the Play Sets may be a little too simple to be enjoyed by adults in single-player mode, they're a lot of fun with a co-op partner, as long as the both of you can revel in the fact that you're playing with childrens' toys. Despite some missteps, Disney Infinity does a solid job of appealing to a broad audience, and lives up to its lofty promises.

This review is based on the retail release of the Xbox 360 version of Disney Infinity, provided by Disney.

Joystiq's review scores are based on a scale of whether the game in question is worth your time -- a five-star being a definitive "yes," and a one-star being a definitive "no." Read here for more information on our ratings guidelines.

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REVIEW – Cloudberry Kingdom (Wii U eShop)

A Game Review by Greg Dabkey

Game – Cloudberry Kingdom
Version – Wii U  eShop
ESRB Rating: ‘T’ – Teen
Price: $9.99
Release Date: 8/1/2013
Obtained – Review copy courtesy of Ubisoft/Pwnee Games

The kingdom of Cloudberry is in trouble.  A retired hero named Bob returns to the scene.  Will he be able to restore the kingdom and win the heart of the princess?  Hey it’s worth a shot!

Story/Plot

The story behind this game is somewhat ridiculous.  Ridiculously funny that is.  A princess is hanging out in her tower when Kobbler shows up with a magical orb.  Bob the retired hero returns to the kingdom and their is a struggle of power between the three of them.  Bob and Kobbler have a brief fight (pretty humorous as Bob says he has no neck as he’s being strangled) and Kobbler throws him down the tower.  There he must journey back to the top to rescue the princess who was kidnapped.  Okay, so the story isn’t anything special or different, but it does have plenty of humor in it and is entertaining to watch the cutscenes.  They also aren’t terribly long either, but it’s definitely worth watching.

Gameplay & Controls

This game has some very interesting gameplay mechanics.  Everything is customized to the player which is pretty great to see.  The game randomly generates levels based on your previous level and how well you did.  It also is generating the next level while you play the current one, so when you complete it you are basically instantly loaded into the next level.  Oh silly me, I didn’t even describe what type of game this is.  Okay, think about the hardest Super Mario level you’ve played.  Now multiply the difficulty by say 10 times, and trim the level length so it’s a little longer than a Warioware microgame.  It’s a platforming game with some short sequenced levels with up to dozens of hazards.  The entry levels are still very easy to get you into the game with only a few things to dodge or jump over.  But if you continue long enough the game will throw some exciting challenges your way that really scratch your head how you will pass through the sequence.

Every jump will eventually be on a specific schedule so that you can navigate around the hazards at a particular pace.  With each level being different, some will require you to sprint, others to do a semi-jog type of run and others must be slowly or carefully done.  There are even levels that mix up those three paces so you will rush then have to come to a complete stop to go slowly through a part of the level.  Some of the levels are timed with a wall of spikes that chases you to the end of the level.  With the random levels you never know what type of room awaits next.  There will be levels with next to no floors and you just bounce on enemies, others will have lasers all over the place, and others are just filled with chained balls and/or fire arms.  Or even some combination of everything.  There’s a lot more hazards then the ones I listed.  If you are having trouble with the level, you can send a CPU through the level, or have an orb show you the path through the level or finally activate slow motion so you can find the route and complete it a little easier.

The controls are also very solid for this game.  The screen is also duplicated on the GamePad, so you just use that if you prefer the off-TV play.  Basically just use A to jump and Y to open the door at the end of the level.  There are at least 10 different heroes that can be used and each has a unique ability.  There’s also boxed Bob who can only move forward while midair, or Double Jump Bob who can jump twice, or even Bouncy Bob that uses a pogo stick at all times (so he’s always/constantly jumping).  There’s Mini Bob who can jump higher, and Fat Bob that is large and can barely jump.  So each hero is controlled differently, and even in story mode you will get to use each hero for at least five to ten levels and either switch back to classic Bob (no unique ability) or to a different hero.  A few of the obscure types include Phase Bob who continues to alternate in size between Mini Bob and Fat Bob, Wheelie Bob who is strapped into a wheel (so it makes it difficult to stop suddenly) and Jetpack Bob who can use a jetpack for about five seconds (until he lands on the ground or an enemy).  Each has controls that handle differently and you never know when you are about to be using them since it load a level and suddenly your form changes, so the game keeps you on your toes.  There’s several others that you will come across in addition to the ones I listed.

Game Modes

This game offers four modes and definitely worth noting them.  The main mode is Story Mode which I believe has set levels that aren’t randomly generated.  It’s divided into seven chapters of twenty or more levels each with the difficulty gradually getting harder within each chapter of levels.  I believe at the time of this writing I am on level 119 (overall total) and in chapter four.  The next mode to describe is free play.  This is where the game allows complete customization and randomization.  You set the initial amount of hazards with a scroll bar per hazard and the game allows at least two screens worth of customization.  You can even just hit Y to randomize all the settings on the page.  After this, you begin the level.  If you manage to complete it, the game will generate a new level with either more or less hazards depending on how well you did.  You can play with up to four players total to go through.  Finally, if you think it’s impossible, the game will show you that it is completely do-able.  A CPU will run through the level and show you the route and timing needed to complete the level.  This isn’t exclusive to Free Play either, it works in Story, and Arcade modes.

Arcade mode is broken into four parts, Escalation, Time Crisis, Hero Rush and Hybrid Rush.  Escalation is similar to the standard story mode, but you have a limited amount of lives.  You can gain lives by collecting twenty-five crystals (there’s about 10-15 per level).  Basically play through as many levels as possible.   Time Crisis you have a countdown clock, and with each coin you collect it adds a second onto the clock.  It continuously runs and carries over to the next level.  If you die, the coins you collected stay collected, so you will need to minimize your  deaths as you run through the random levels.  Hero Rush is similar to Time Crisis, but your hero changes with each level.  At the end of each level, you see an icon of the next hero you will be is shown above the door, and the time limit remains from the previous level and is increased with coin collection.   Hybrid Rush is a combination of Time Crisis and Hero Rush, but with a twist.  You will get two of the hero’s powers, so for instance you might be a Mini-Wheelie Bob, or be Boxed Bob and Jetpack Bob, so you will have two powers to use at once while collecting coins to expand the time to get to the door.  All modes allow up to four players with local multiplayer, and your hero Bob has complete customization with such features as: different colors, hats, facial hair, cape, with a number of different settings to change.  These character designs do not affect your controls.

Visuals & Sound

If you are looking for realism or somewhat clean visuals, this isn’t the game for you.  The characters are cartoony and simple, Bob even jokes he doesn’t have a neck!  I like the art style and find it fun and entertaining to watch.  Sure the levels are simple backgrounds and obstacles are not cleanest, but I really love how everything flows together.  You can be in an ice world and the fire arms will still be swirling around preventing you from getting to that door.  I do like how it switches up the backgrounds and settings.  You’ll be in a cave set of levels for five or ten levels, then suddenly into a series of sky levels for short while then suddenly into the frozen ice world.  There is no set type where one is always hard or always easy so it provides a nice change of space and continues to switch up the level styles.

While the sounds are simple and even somewhat similar to Mario, such as the jump sound and collecting coins, but it’s such standard and fitting sound for the movement and collection.  The door sound is also a simple door closing sound.  The voice work during the cut scenes is very well done and such a fitting tone for the characters.  My absolute favorite is the soundtrack.  If you watched any of the trailers for this game, that is the legit music you will hear while playing.  A fast paced electronic/techno style that I absolutely love.  It gives you that energy to want to rush through the level to advance to the next one.  Each track is timed, so you will hear it for a little while and then the next song in the playlist begins to play.  So it will switch in the middle of levels or between levels depending on the length of the song.  Sometimes there is a moment of silence, then the next song will kick in momentarily.

Conclusion 

Cloudberry Kingdom is an excellent platforming game that kicks it into high gear and will challenge any fan of the platforming genre.  With customization of the character to different abilities to randomly generated levels and even four player simultaneous local multiplayer it can be fun for players of all skill levels.  If you wonder where Mario’s really lost levels are, then look no farther as even the most difficult levels are beatable and at any time as a CPU can show you the way.  With essentially infinite levels and combinations you will have an infinitely fun time playing alone or with friends.  Sadly there is no online multiplayer, but I have heard that the developer has a planned patch to add in online leaderboards, so you will be able to compete with your friends online for bragging of rights of the highest score.  I’d recommend this game to fans of the platforming genre, and even those that seek a thorough challenging game.  This game will bring out many emotions, as things can get insanely crazy.

Final Score: 10 out of 10

+ Off TV play
+ custom difficulty
+ custom/random levels
+ multiple game modes
+ different heroes
+ incredible soundtrack
+ local multiplayer
-  no online modes or Miiverse integration (online leaderboards are tentatively planned)

Some videos I took of the gameplay: Story, Story + Free Play, Free Play + Arcade, Arcade + More story

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Trends of launch game review scores across generations

by JC Fletcher on Dec 14th 2012 1:30PM

It can be really interesting to look through a bunch of well-organized data even (especially) if there are no easy conclusions to be drawn from it. Gamasutra's gathering of historical Metacritic/Gamerankings review data for home console launch games is just such a collection of interesting, difficult to interpret numbers.

Aggregated looks at review scores for the launches of systems from the PlayStation to the Wii U show that the PS3, Wii, and Wii U's launch games had the widest spread of review scores – a phenomenon we might attribute to the larger number of reviewing press outlets that were present for those launches.

The average review score was highest for GameCube, and lowest for PlayStation. And surprisingly, the Wii U has almost as many US launch games as the most populated platform, the PS2. That's at least one auspicious statistic for the Wii U's launch lineup, even if many of the games in it are ports.

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[PC, PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Remember Me

[PC, PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Remember Me
Game Informer - 7.75/10 - "The detailed world of Neo-Paris seems like it should be full of great stories, but the one Dontnod tells is uninspired. The environmental climbing sequences offer some simple fun, but the linear paths diminish any sense of exploration this otherwise would have achieved. Combat is filled with fresh ideas, but that creativity inhibits your capability in combat. Hopefully Dontnod doesn’t forget any of the lessons it learned this time around, because a sequel could be truly memorable."

Eurogamer - 7/10 - "Dontnod's first game is a classic genre piece, then - third-person traversal, fisticuffs and cut-scenes - ploughing the path made particularly famous in recent years by Naughty Dog, and for the most part it presents a world of rare coherency and surprising depth in a field better known for gunfights, tech demos and McGuffins. However, the developers never quite square the combat away with their beautiful world and interesting characters, which only rarely assume the kind of tactility for which their depth and consideration is crying out."

Destructoid - 6/10 - "One has to applaud Remember Me's desire to be something more than the average videogame, but desire is worthless on its own. If it had spent more time actually being unique and interesting, rather than working so hard merely to look it, and if it had genuinely created a deep and compelling combat system as opposed to taking an old one and dressing it up as something different, we could indeed have had a brilliant game on our hands. As it stands, Remember Me is a game that offers about six to eight hours of disposable entertainment that defines pretentiousness and will be forgotten in an inconsequential passage of time."

IGN - 5.9/10 - "Remember Me is a likeable, even admirable game that tells a deeply personal story in a thoughtfully-fashioned world populated by richly detailed character models. But ultimately, it failed to challenge or excite me as a game, as all of its best ideas are confined to its overarching fiction rather than its gameplay. I rarely felt like a Memory Hunter except for the few Memory Remix sections. I’d love to spend time in this world sampling its fiction and tasting some of its ideas, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for the game, which is very forgettable."

VideoGamer - 4/10 - "Remember Me is nothing more than an entirely forgettable tour de farce of archaic game design. Its horrific dialogue, sickening camera and regressive combat are major blips in a title that poses one major question: was this game worth releasing? ‘Dontnod’ is arguably the right answer."

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[PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Fuse

[PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Fuse
EGM - 7.5/10 - "Fuse has a fantastic foundation. The game looks and sounds great, while the RPG systems and frantic, arcade-like gameplay mechanics really pull you into the experience when playing with buddies. But I know how hard it is to get a crew of guys together to do most anything nowadays—never mind play games. Keeping that and the lackluster story in mind, Fuse makes a strong showing but falls short of being an elite shooter."

GameSpot - 7/10 - "The challenge of Echelon is a welcome one for folks looking to flex their skills beyond the bounds of the campaign, and if you've got some willing allies, you can definitely have a good time. And that's pretty much true for the whole game.Fuse is calibrated for people to play together, designed in such a way as to be merely serviceable for solo players, but solid fun for groups of gung-ho mercs."

IGN - 6.5/10 - "This is a loud, chaotic, and fun bit of extraordinary violence in an otherwise lighthearted world, but it rarely achieves the greatness it strives for. If you can overlook the tonal inconsistencies, Fuse’s shallow, familiar shooting can thrive. Success comes when the unacceptable teammate A.I. is replaced by a group of friends unleashing the awesome power of their alien-powered weaponry. Fuse is an all-or-nothing experience, though. Bring a full crew or don’t waste your time."

Eurogamer - 5/10 - "For the most part it's just OK, the sort of game you'll add to your LoveFilm rental list, forget about until it turns up, then forget again as soon as the disc is back in the postbox. It's certainly not alone in that respect, but the fact it's coming from a developer that we know can do so much better makes this exercise in average feel all the more disappointing."

Destructoid - 4/10 - "Whether it's true or not, Fuse does feel every bit like another victim of the heavily focus-tested, leader following, perpetually terrified mainstream game industry. It's every cloying and desperate element of the retail console market, brought together -- fused, if you will -- to create a factory standard example of a game that tries to be everything the hypothetical mainstream consumer drools over, and ends up as nothing remarkable."

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[PS3] Review Roundup - The Last of Us

IGN - 10/10 - "In short, Naughty Dog has crafted a game that impresses in virtually every way. The Last of Us is a true feat. Its unrivaled presentation in particular sets the bar even higher than the Uncharted trilogy already did, and its writing, voice acting and layered gameplay combine to create what is very easily the game to beat for Game of the Year 2013."

Eurogamer - 10/10 - "At a time when blockbuster action games are sinking into a mire of desperate overproduction, shallow gameplay and broken narrative logic, The Last of Us is a deeply impressive demonstration of how it can and should be done. It starts out safe but ends brave; it has heart and grit, and it hangs together beautifully. And it's a real video game, too. An elegy for a dying world, The Last of Us is also a beacon of hope for its genre."

Destructoid - 10/10 - "There is more to The Last of Us than just combat and "emotional" story tropes. To touch on its setpiece moments, to detail its beautiful changes in pace, would be to spoil too much. It cannot be said enough, however, that Naughty Dog's new best creation is complete, and when I say complete, I mean it to pay the highest of compliments. I do not want more from The Last of Us: I do not need more. As the last line was uttered and the credits ushered in the close, I was done. The Last of Us had achieved everything it needed to achieve in order to provide me with everything I wanted."

EGM - 9.5/10 - "The truth is, this isn’t really a game about scrounging for supplies, or surviving a fungal infection that turns humans into monsters, or even the ways in which humans can and would treat one another once society completely breaks down. This is a game about two people—Joel and Ellie—and the relationship that forms between them because of all of those other elements. At the end of the day, what happens to those two people is more important and interesting than anything else that could have been done here, and as the vehicle via which such a story will be told, Naughty Dog has crafted what’s probably their best game yet—a game that serves as a fitting end to the generation that’s made projects such as The Last of Us realistically possible."

GameSpot - 8/10 - "Thrust in a lawless world, you feel the ache of a society gone to seed. The Last of Us stretches on for hours, forcing you to endure the suffocating atmosphere and unrelenting despair that citizens of this world have become accustomed to. And that time spent navigating the desolate wasteland draws you deeper inside. You read letters from people who have long since disappeared, meet groups who have created a rickety social structure to help them survive life's many threats. Most important of all, you watch Ellie grow. From feisty warmth to beleaguered exhaustion, her many moods are always twinged with a grounded levity. Her uplifting nature stands in sharp contrast to the people and events surrounding her, compelling you to protect her, shepherd her, and cherish her. The Last of Us is a singular adventure that looks the downfall of humanity in the eyes and doesn't blink."

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REVIEW – Trine 2

Game review by Jeremy Hardin

Game – Trine 2: Director’s Cut
Version – 3DS eShop – $19.99
Rating – E10+ for Everyone 10+
Obtained – Review Code courtesy of Frozenbyte

Trine 2: Director’s Cut is the most visually appealing game on offer through the Wii U eShop yet – but is it just another pretty face, or does it complete the whole package?

Story and Plot

The story begins with the narrator telling us of 3 heroes, Amadeus (wizard), Pontius (knight), and Zoya (thief, I mean, entrepreneur) who were once led by a mysterious artifact called the Trine on a quest, perhaps you’ve heard the tale?

After the brief introduction, you’re given control of each character individually (just like in the original Trine) by way of a tutorial level.  First, you start off with Amadeus as he is awakened by a great noise and a bright light.  He ventures out into the woods to investigate the light.  Along the way you’ll be introduced to Amadeus’ levitation and conjuring magic.  After a brief hike through the woods, you come upon the Trine, which just so happens to teleport Pontius to your location.  Surprised by his presence, Pontius explains to Amadeus how he came to arrive in the woods. At this point, you’re taken to Pontius’ tutorial level in the village and the fields where you learn how to use his sword, shield, and hammer.  Once you encounter the Trine, your level ends and you then take control of Zoya, high above the city at night as she is out on the prowl looking for some loot to pilfer.  As you scamper across the rooftops you’ll learn how to fire arrows and hook onto wooden surfaces with your grappling hook.  As expected, shortly into the tutorial level, Zoya sees a mysterious light on top of the old church and goes up to investigate.  Once atop the old church, Amadeus and Pontius join Zoya by way of the Trine and the adventure begins.

I don’t want to give too much away pertaining to the story, so I’ll summarize it by saying that you are on a quest to rid a mysterious kingdom of all the evil which has befallen it.  Along the way you’ll fight creatures big and small, and solve environmental puzzles in order to progress.

Gameplay and Controls

As previously mentioned, you’ll be fighting waves of enemies, especially a lot of goblins, plus solving environmental puzzles along the way as you fight to rid the lands of the evil infesting it.  Players will take control of our the 3 heroes, one at time, with the ability to switch between any of the 3, instantly with the touch of a button as they progress through each chapter of our story.  You’ll need to make good use of each of the heroes in order to progress, and thankfully, there are multiple solutions to many of the puzzles.  In general though, based upon their specific skills, you’ll most likely be using the same hero for the same kind of puzzles.  If there are wood surfaces nearby, you’ll most often use Zoya’s grapple ability to traverse higher or further.  There are times though when you can use Amadeus to conjure up some boxes to stand on, which can give you the needed height to reach the next level of ground.  Pontius can plow through stone and rubble in a variety of areas.   Each hero’s unique abilities can also help you to reach hidden areas, provided you can find them first.  As you progress through each level, you’ll find light blue bottles which when collected gain you experience points to spend.  The points are shared cumulatively across the 3 heroes, so use them wisely.  You can upgrade each hero’s abilities to further aid you on your quest.  I think of one of the greatest features of this leveling up system is that you can remove and add your points as needed.  So say you want to increase Amadeus’s conjuring skills so he can spawn 3 rather than 2 boxes.  Well, eventually down the road, you may decide you want to give Zoya the ability to fire additional arrows, so you can take from Amadeus and give to Zoya, if you so desire.  The possibilities are quite flexible, of course, I suggest finding as much XP as you can.  There are also chests to unlock which hold concept art and poems.  Plus, there are more hidden items to search for.

There is of course the main storyline, but in addition, you’ll also get the Goblin Menace Expansion Pack built-in.  This takes places at the end of the main story and involves the wife of Amadeus being kidnapped by goblins and your attempt to rescue her.

Controlling the heroes is really quite easy, switching between heroes is done with the touch of a button.  Your primary and secondary attacks are just as simple to execute and for aiming, you have an on-screen reticule which aids your efforts.

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Modes

Obviously, there is the single-player campaign, which spans 13 levels, plus there are 7 more in the expansion pack.  In addition, there is also the option to play local or online multiplayer games, which does include voice-chat.  I only had the chance to try out multiplayer without voice-chat and I can say it was less than stellar, not being able to communicate.  However, the option use voice-chat is greatly appreciated and should be used as much as possible.

Graphics and Sound

I hope I made it clear by now, but if not, let me stress it once again.  Trine 2: Director’s Cut is the most visually stunning, atmospheric, humorous games on the Wii U eShop.  Often times you’ll be so busy concentrating on a puzzle or fighting enemies, you may forgot to appreciate the environment.  Do yourself a favor and stop for a minute so you can take in the atmosphere, it is stunning.  The various levels, the intricate level design and the atmospheric music and lighting draw you deeper into experience every step of the way.

Final Score: 10 out of 10

Trine 2: Director’s Cut graced the Wii U eShop thanks to Frozenbyte Studios, and it absolutely one of the most visually appealing eShop games to date.  Not to mention, it’s filled with puzzles and action plus, it’s a bit of fun to play and the humor complements the gameplay from beginning to end.  If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend purchasing Trine 2: Director’s Cut.

+Amazing visuals (stunning!)
+Unlockables
+Multiplayer (Local/Online)
+Voice-Chat
+Excellent physics based puzzles
+Humorous dialogue and interaction between characters
+Extensive amount of content (including bundled DLC)

Intro (1st) Chapter

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[3DS] Review Roundup - Animal Crossing: New Leaf

IGN - 9.6/10 - "There’s always something to work toward, something to look forward to, something to be proud of or to remember fondly. New Leaf is a truly magical game, one that you can easily expect to invest hundreds of hours in over the course of years. Anyone with access to a 3DS should absolutely give this game a try - just be prepared to kiss your “real” life goodbye."

Eurogamer - 9/10 - "Finally, playing it my way has lead me to the kind of self-reflection that a man in his 30s can't always afford. Why do I care what this leopard thinks of me? Why am I losing sleep over the construction of a virtual bench? Maybe, though, you're somewhere else in this special game's vast audience - a clued-in senior who's long tired of Brain Training, or a delighted kid falling in love with video games right at the start of your personal journey. The first Animal Crossing you play is always the best, isn't it? If this is your first, I envy you."

EGM - 8.5/10 - "If you’ve never tried an Animal Crossing title, then Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the perfect place to start. If it’s been a while since you’ve paid the games a visit—or if you weren’t totally happy with how City Folk turned out—then New Leaf should have enough content to make the return trip worth it. From the convenience of its portability to the 3D affect that legitimately makes the game look and feel better, Nintendo’s latest handheld provides a fantastic platform for the future of the Animal Crossing series."

GameSpot - 8/10 - "New Leaf is a very strange game with an appeal that seems nonexistent to outsiders. The moment-to-moment activities are so banal that it's not readily apparent just how engrossing the small-town life can be. However, the more you play, the more invested you become in the well-being of your city, and the more exciting each small success becomes. When you receive perfect town status, it's hard to contain your joy, because you've had to work long and hard to earn that recognition. Animal Crossing: New Leaf is an expected sequel that doesn't stray far from its predecessors. Still, the happiness of your citizens is so intoxicating that it's easy to be sucked into this portable adventure as you live out your dreams as an all-powerful mayor."

Destructoid - 7/10 - "There's plenty of fun and silliness to be had in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and obsessive fans will likely find the extra content, however fundamentally familiar, to be endearing and laudable. It's a good little game, but it's nowhere near as special as it used to be, and those hoping for more flexibility and interaction from their new political careers will feel let down by what is, ostensibly, just more goalpost shifting and further excuses to get you to shake bananas off trees. A new leaf has not been turned. Rather, an old dog is on display. Faithful, loyal, and hard to dislike, but you know what it can do already."

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REVIEW – Kung Fu Rabbit

Game review by Jeremy Hardin

Game – Kung Fu Rabbit
Version – Wii U eShop ($4.99)
Rating – E for Everyone
Obtained – Review Code courtesy of Neko Entertainment

Story and Plot

As you might expect, there isn’t too much going on in the way of a story here, but it’s at least a quirky intro.  So you and your bunny pals are just chilling at the dojo, when all of a sudden, evil, hungry aliens invade and snatch up your pals for a bunny banquet – not as the guest of honor mind you, but as the main course!  Now, it’s up to you, Kung Fu Rabbit with all your skills, to save your bunny pals from the gullet of the evil aliens.

Gameplay and Controls

Gameplay is broken down into 3 worlds and 1 bonus cavern, each world houses 20 levels apiece.  Your goal in each level is to reach the trapped bunny at the end of the level, and since one hit kills, you  must take care to avoid enemies and obstacles alike.  The levels are laid out in such a manner that you must be precise with your jumps and time them accordingly.  One of your only Kung Fu abilities, is being able to cling to a wall, while slowly sliding down, and wall jump.  This wall-clinging, jump ability is actually your greatest, if only strength and every level is designed to challenge your ability and skill.  Oddly enough, for a rabbit with the Kung Fu label, you’re quite weak when it comes to evil aliens.  In fact, you’re nothing more than a pushover when face to face with an enemy however, get behind an enemy and you’ll dispatch of them with one swipe of your paw.

In addition to saving your bunny friends, you’ll find 3 normal carrots and 1 golden carrot placed around each level.  By collecting all the carrots, especially the golden one, you not only improve your score, but you also earn in-game currency to buy items in the dojo.  These items will make your quest easier and are well worth the extra effort to collect all 4 carrots in each level.  The levels are short in length, most of them taking a couple of minutes or so to complete.  This design makes Kung Fu Rabbit a great game to pick up and play, especially when your time is limited.  For those of us who are short on time and patience, you’ll be glad to hear that restarting a level is quick and painless and even further encourages you to replay levels.

Controlling your Rabbit is quite easy as there are multiple controls schemes supported.  I only played with the Gamepad, and I found it quite easy to run and wall jump about.  I would say that anyone could pick up and play Kung Fu Rabbit within a matter of minutes, it’s really easy to control.  You can use either the d-pad or left thumb-stick to control your rabbit, attacking is done automatically, so long as you are behind an enemy’s back, and jumping is done with A, B buttons.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics are, for the most part, simple, yet effective in creating an engaging atmosphere.  That is not to say the simplicity is a negative in any way, by no means is that the case.  In fact, the visuals are quite pleasing in their simplicity.  Your character and yes, even the enemies are all designed to look cute and each have a cartoon quality about them.  The environment itself has enough detail to make it interesting and look alive.  Visually, I was pleased with the small details, and yes, even the simple design and layout.

The audio, while charming, suffers from a lack of variety.  I have no doubts that you’ll surely enjoy the sounds of Kung Fu Rabbit as he ‘pitter patters’ across the levels and shouts with glee as he rescues his trapped bunny friends.  I suppose, that isn’t even really where the repetitive nature of the audio will bother you the most, but rather in the background music of each level.  Other than this one little gripe, I enjoyed the audio presentation of Kung Fu Rabbit.  I only wish I had more to enjoy. This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Final Score: 9 out of 10

Neko Entertainment did a great job of porting what was originally an iOS game over to the Wii U eShop.  Kung Fu Rabbit proves to be an entertaining , fun, and challenging game with visuals and gameplay that are sure to please everyone who plays.  Considering the base amount of content, plus the unlockables and challenge mode, $4.99 is a great price for everything being offered.  I strongly encourage you to plop down the $5 and save those bunnies!

+ Easy to pick up and play
+ In-game purchases (upgrades)
+ Visually appealing (looks great in HD)
+ Off-TV Play supported (mirrored)
+ Hours of content
+ Unlockable Challenge Mode (increased difficulty and tile swap of all levels)

- Repetitive audio
– No online or local leaderboards

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[PC, PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Dead Island: Riptide

[PC, PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Dead Island: Riptide
Game Informer - 8/10 - "Riptide’s flaws are many, but they couldn’t hold me back from having a blast. Few games nail the visceral feel of melee combat and co-op fun like Dead Island. At its worst, an annoying hiccup breaks the immersion of the grizzly trek through a zombie-infested paradise. At its best, Riptide hits the same high notes as the original."

IGN - 7.2/10 - "I seriously love Dead Island Riptide for its satisfying zombie dismemberment and co-op, but technically, it's done nothing to build itself into a great game. Rather than fix the graphics and the performance problems that plagued the original two years ago, Techland slightly modified the setting and delivered a new character and more content. It’s a fun time, but there are no surprises or killer new features to make it an impressive package."

EGM - 6/10 - "Still, as much as I hated the glitches and lack of story development, there were times I couldn’t put Riptide down for hours upon hours. The sheer fun of the co-op zombie-slaughtering gameplay was strong enough to carry the burden. The fact that the rest of the game can’t live up to this promising foundation is nothing short of heartbreaking. It’s a reboot of a game that only came out two years ago. It’s a nightmarish expansion pack with only a handful of new gameplay elements and two new bugs for every one that’s been fixed. If this is your first experience with the franchise, then you might be able to look past some of the more glaring flaws, but if you played the first Dead Island, Riptide is a difficult game to recommend."

Destructoid - 5/10 - "Is Dead Island: Riptide a fun game? At times, yes. In terms of raw combat and power fantasy, it's just as good as Dead Island ... and it's just as bad at the same time. The bottom line is that there's no excuse for it not being superior. Being "just as good" isn't good enough, especially not when Dead Island had things on its side that Riptide doesn't. Those new to the series entirely will likely not notice the problems quite so much, and be as forgiving to it as newcomers were to Dead Island. While Riptide banks on you having loved the first, in actuality you have a lot more to gain if you've never touched it. If you played the first game, however, I'd recommend waiting for a real sequel, because Riptide fails to get away with pulling the same trick twice."

Giant Bomb - 2/5 - "The first Dead Island was long on good ideas but short on skillful execution, and while there's still a truly great game lurking in there somewhere, Riptide is not it. It's a shame Techland didn't take this opportunity to take a step back and figure out how to properly evolve this formula before iterating on the franchise again. Maybe that truly improved Dead Island will still come along someday, but in the meantime, Riptide feels like a game that didn't really need to be made."

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REVIEW – Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (Wii U)

A review by Gamer Greg

Game – Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Version – Wii U (retail)
ESRB Rating: ‘M’ – Mature, 18+
Price: $59.99
Release Date: 11/18/2012
Obtained – Review copy courtesy of Activision

Probably regarded as one of the most successful series in video games, we have the newest edition of the game; Black Ops 2.  Believe-it-or-not, this is actually my FIRST entry into the series.  So in this review I cannot compare it to the series as a whole, but as an individual game. How does this game stack up?  Continue reading to find out!

Gameplay

Here’s a gun, knife and some ammo.  Now go kill people!  Well, that is an over-simplified single sentence version of the game.  This game is actually much deeper than that.   There’s a very deep and compelling story surrounding a soldier and the player lives through their eyes.  The player is given a variety of missions from destroying enemy bases to vehicles to soldiers.  The player can only handle 2 weapons at a time, however they can also equip attachments and perks to those weapons.  They can also handle grenades to launch at their foes.  In addition, the player can swap out guns with ones from enemies, so if you are running low on ammo, it can be traded for a new weapon.

The story is not just running through level.  The player will be riding on horseback, boat, helicopter as they make their way through each level.  In addition to the various modes of transportation, the player can also control other devices.  This can range from mini-vehicles that can detonate, or even a rocket once launched.  There is many different aspects to this game and there is always variety, even though the goal is simple, completing it is the complex part.

I found that the variety of gameplay options made both the multiplayer and campaign to be very enjoying and maintained fresh to play between levels.  I found it not to be clear cut and easy as well.   Even though I entered this game as a first-timer, I still went through the regular difficulty (there’s just something wrong about selecting “easy” for me).  I found it to be somewhat challenging at times, but the checkpoints really assisted so I could go through that segment as many times as I needed.  This is to be expected as I can’t just be a pro the first time playing the campaign.

Game Modes

As I mentioned, there is the standard campaign mode and obvious multiplayer mode, though new to this game is a another mode called Zombie mode.  In addition to all the gameplay variations of campaign mode, after each level the game presents you with a score on how many enemies you killed, blew up and a number of other statistics.  This total score is presented, and then it even ranks you with your friend’s list with those that have the game.  Clicking on their Nintendo Network ID shows you their breakdown.  I found this to be quite enjoyable that you were able to compare scores to your friends and compete for the highest score.

Next up, is the highlight of the series from what I’ve gathered from the hard-core fan base, the multiplayer portion.  Without even starting the campaign, the player can choose to jump right into the action with fellow gamers from around the world.  Despite this game being a launch title on a new console, there were still plenty of people to play with in the various modes.   There are a variety of solo modes and team modes.  It ranges from simple defeat other players or the other team to capture the flag, search and destroy, and a headquarters mode.  The game gives a brief summary for each of the 17 different types.  Finally, there is even hard versions of some of the modes which adds in features like friendly fire, extra bullet damage, no respawning, or no health regeneration.

One of the aspects of playing online, was that I obviously felt out of my league.  Most matches had players that were level 20-something all the way to 40-something.  I realize it is from my inexperience to the series and starting multiplayer a few weeks after this game has been out on the market, but I also found it to be difficult to learn from my mistakes.  I realized that the radar only shows those that are firing, which allowed you to get shot from behind pretty easily.  One part I did not enjoy were the amount of players that just camped and sniped from their safe locations.  When I did play first person shooters on classic Nintendo consoles, I had loved the aspect of wandering around and only allowing certain weapons.  COD allows each player to customize their starting weapons, perks and grenade choices.  You unlock better weapons by earning experience points from each online match, so I was having to play with those that had powerful 1-shot kill sniping weapons and faster firing machine gun weapons.  I found it harder to get kills by having to be stuck inferior weapons.  I realize I could play for dozens of hours to get the experience and unlock credits for those weapons, but I also find it harder to enjoy the game when you are ranking last or near last for basically every match.

Last but not least was the Zombie mode.  This can be played as a solo player or online depending on your preferences.  You can choose to have limited ammo or just play the standard Zombie mode.  Both played similarly, with the player having to kill all the zombies and also patch up their spawn location.  This would be like boarding up a broken window or doorway.  After so many areas were patched, the player would advance levels, meaning more zombies and experience points.  The experience points could be spent on leaving the location, or being able to switch guns.  With the limited amount of ammo, the player would basically need to get a different gun at some point.  Overall this mode was interesting as zombies will continually arrive and the player is tasked with staying alive.

Controls

The controls for this game worked quite well.  In the pause menu it displayed the various controls in case you were new to the game like I was.  The control sticks are used for controlling the character and strafing and pressing down on the left joystick allowed the player to run for a brief period.  Pressing down the right joystick allowed the player to do a quick knife slash.  A is used to switch between your two weapons, B is used to put in a new clip (reload), Y makes the player jump with X using to crouch/stand.  On the top of the controller, ZL is used to Aim with both hands, L throws grenades, and ZR fires your weapon.  I don’t remember nor could find what the R button did, but each and every button had a purpose.

I thought the control scheme worked pretty well.  I didn’t really agree with the pressing down on the control stick to run but no other function would fit in its place.  In the campaign mode, the game helped learn these controls within the first few levels.  The same control scheme matched on the Wii U Pro controller.  I felt that the GamePad was optimal for short periods of time or for playing with the game displaying on the screen.  For longer periods, the Pro controller was better suited.  I got about 3 hours using the GamePad showing all the action on the screen.  This is no fault with the game, but with the controller.

Graphics/Visuals

The graphics and visuals were top notch.  Obviously the best visuals were on the TV, but those shown on the GamePad were pretty good as well.  All characters and backgrounds were displayed beautifully and perfectly on the television screen.  All vehicles and level designs looked incredibly realistic.  With such beautiful graphics, it helped make the player more immersed into the game.  Another cool feature was with the multiplayer mode, when you are killed, the game shows you kill cam so you can see through the eyes of the player that killed you.

Music/Sound Effects

The music, sound effects and voice acting was done incredibly well.  The background music fit the levels, even though you are more likely to hear gun shots majority of the time.  In the campaign mode, the voice acting adds that something extra to the high quality visuals that are displayed.  The voice actors chosen match perfectly with the character designs.  All of the weapon sound effects along with vehicle sound effects sounded very realistic, adding to the immersive gameplay and visuals shown.

Concluding Overall Impressions

Overall Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is an excellent game.  The main point I have against the game is that it felt like it caters more to those that have played previous titles, and does make it easy for new players.  I realize this is a minority, but there will always be new players  not only for this game, but for future titles as well.  I would recommend this game to fans of the first-person shooter genre and those that enjoy a good story, have high quality graphics, music and sound effects.  This game will not disappoint fans of the series and provides plenty of entertainment to everyone.

9 out of 10

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[PS3, X360] Review Roundup - LEGO The Lord of the Rings

[PS3, X360] Review Roundup - LEGO The Lord of the Rings
Eurogamer - 9/10 - "Arriving so soon after Lego Batman 2, Lord of the Rings suggests that despite a production rate that should have crushed all imagination, TT Games isn't taking its young fans for granted and continues to coax and encourage them to be better gamers. Gotham City may have offered a peek behind the curtain at what a wider Lego world could be like, but Middle-earth throws it wide open. Charming and delightful, faithful to the source yet cheekily irreverent, and packed with features that feed into each other in satisfying ways, The Lord of the Rings marks yet another highpoint in the Lego series."

Game Informer - 8.5/10 - "A handful of technical stumbles can’t keep Lego Lord of the Rings from being the best Lego game so far. Finding a great compromise between the linear installments and the sprawling open world of Lego Batman 2, Traveller’s tales hits sweet spots in the structure and gameplay, constantly giving players new goals and new places to explore. The steady stream of goofball humor keeps the mood light, but almost every part of the game is entertaining in its own way."

GameSpot - 8.5/10 - "TT Games and Lego struck gold when they united for Lego Star Wars in 2005, and that rich vein is still yielding worthwhile results. Lego The Lord of the Rings is perhaps the finest treasure that the partnership has yet produced, a compelling mixture of cooperative gameplay, secrets galore, and a story that remains one of the most fantastic that Hollywood has ever captured on film. If you haven't given the Lego games a chance yet, there has never been a better time to start."

GamesRadar - 4/5 - "Despite a few bugs with the checkpoint system (we experienced a crash in the ending cutscene of a level and had to repeat the entire thing, for instance), Lego: Lord Of The Rings is an entirely pleasant experience, especially if you haven’t seen Peter Jackson’s films recently, or simply don’t mind sitting through an abbreviated version of them again. It’s probable that Tolkien fans are going to be inundated with games based on The Hobbit for the next few years, but if this is the last Lord of The Rings game to be published for a while, it serves as a fittingly fun capstone to the last decade of video game Ringsmania."

IGN - 6.8/10 - "As a huge LOTR fan, I enjoyed my time with LEGO The Lord of the Rings. It's an interactive guided tour through three incredible films that relives all of the most memorable moments. It lacks some of the unique charm that the series is known for, and the gameplay, while fun at times, is beginning to lose its luster. Fans of the other LEGO games will certainly enjoy it; just don't expect anything you haven't seen before."

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[Wii U] Review Roundup - Nintendo Land

[Wii U] Review Roundup - Nintendo Land
IGN - 8.7/10 - Nintendo Land is a brilliant show of what Nintendo’s new console and tablet controller are capable of, and has far more depth and content then you’d expect from a mini-game collection. The attractions are ridiculously fun and offer plenty of variety, whether you’re flying solo or entertaining a group. Throw in high scores to best, gold trophies to earn, stamp achievements to collect and tons of Plaza decorations to unlock, and what you’ve got is an experience that must not be missed, and probably the best show of Wii U available at launch.

GameSpot - 8/10 - But like Nintendo Land's use of familiar properties, this bevy of prizes to collect wouldn't be worth much if it wasn't supported by good gameplay. Thankfully, it is. Nintendo Land isn't just a fine showcase of the Wii U's capabilities, though it certainly is that. It's also a great game in its own right, and particularly if you have friends or family members with whom you can play all of the multiplayer attractions, it's a great way to start getting a lot of enjoyment out of the new console immediately.

Polygon - 8/10 - This final view of a trinket-covered Nintendo Land is a metaphor for the game. It's massive, but disposable; grotesque, yet striking; commodified, but affecting. Not everything in Nintendo Land works, but what it does well, no one else is even trying. I'm also describing Nintendo itself.

Joystiq - 4/5 - Nintendo Land, then, is inherently targeted at a much narrower audience than its pack-in predecessor, Wii Sports. Whether you think that's a problem in the long term depends on how loudly you've decried Nintendo over the last six years for "abandoning" its core. In the short term, it's a great party game for people in that audience – like the ones reading this website.

Destructoid - 7/10 - Those unconvinced about what the Wii U can do would benefit from finding themselves a way of trying out Nintendo Land. It manages to do a lot with the system without, I believe, even scratching the surface of what more focused and dedicated videogames could achieve. It's a game meant to excite you more about the system you just purchased, and that is what it does. Well worth checking out, at any rate.

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[Wii U] Review Roundup - New Super Mario Bros. U

[Wii U] Review Roundup - New Super Mario Bros. U
IGN - 9.1/10 - Nintendo’s approach here strikes a great balance in all areas, ranging from its difficulty to design to enemies and bosses. And for everything the basic Story Mode does right – and that’s a considerable amount – the Challenge Mode will be remembered as a key moment in the life of the New Mario series, where Nintendo realized it didn’t have to sacrifice the core gamer’s experience at the expense of a more casual audience. This is how Mario can and will appeal to everyone.

Joystiq - 4.5/5 - The New Super Mario Bros. series may have taken the beloved Nintendo franchise back to its 2D roots, but New Super Mario Bros. U reintroduces what made the original games so good in the first place. It proves that there's more to the formula than just impeccable platforming. There's a sense of wonder again, of exploration and discovery. I'm not quite prepared to say New Super Mario Bros. U fully recaptures the spark of Mario's 2D heyday, but it's an impressive step in the right direction.

GameSpot - 8.5/10 - New Super Mario Bros. U is not a game that takes many risks, nor is it definitively the best 2D Mario title, but it's certainly a contender. It's consistently charming, often challenging, and an excellent illustration of that which makes Mario games so special. Nintendo seemingly recaptured traditional, distilled platforming, but also incorporated a newfound attention to modern gaming trends and expectations. It's a challenging platformer, an excellent recreation of Mario's best moments, and it's the perfect way to kick-off Nintendo's journey into HD.

Polygon - 8.5/10 - That's really what separates New Super Mario Bros. U from its "New" predecessors: It adds something to the Mario formula. It's exciting and full of inventive ideas. Until now, the New Super Mario Bros. games have been a fun but mostly mindless reminder of how great Mario was back on the NES or SNES. New Super Mario Bros. U actually feels like it's from that era. It's where the series would have gone next if the transition to 3D had never happened, and it feels great to be back on that track.

Destructoid - 8.5/10 - New Super Mario Bros. U is a great little platformer that kicks off the Wii U launch with a bang. Players know exactly what they're getting with this one -- an entertaining and incomplex bit of gaming that provides challenge and smirks in equal measure. While certainly a "safe" game to launch with, it is by no means unremarkable, and the only people who would fail to have fun are those with a fundamental aversion to Mario or platformers in general. Literally everybody else would find it incredibly difficult to dislike this one ... even if some of those latter stages will make them temporarily despise it. Because nobody likes lava levels. Nobody.

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[PC, PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Far Cry 3

[PC, PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Far Cry 3
Eurogamer - 10/10 - "That's because Far Cry 3 is all the best things about open-world gaming. It's a glorious anecdote factory, where you manufacture brilliant new memories every time you wake up in a safehouse and head out into the jungle. It's an astonishing technical achievement, as comfortable revealing incredible landscapes over the brow of a hill as it is when the setting sun winks at you through a canopy, or when the heavens open as you stalk wildlife through the trees and long grass. And it always lets you play, but it also controls the tempo - sometimes a little heavy-handedly, but always with good intentions."

EGM - 10/10 - "In the same sense that the jungles of the Rook Islands get their hooks into Brody, the game’s blend of shooting, driving, sneaking, crafting, and platforming will take hold of you as a player, making it easy to forget that you’re on the other end of a controller. In that sense, Far Cry 3 manages more than a shift on your view of its wisecracking protagonist. It’s the sort of game that makes the genre’s best look absolutely ordinary—which, in a story this beset by twists, turns, and turmoil, may just be the biggest mindf*** of them all."

IGN - 9/10 - "It’s easy to see why someone would want to visit Rook Island – it’s a stunning tropical location with plenty of fun activities, scenic views, and history worth discovering. Far Cry 3 disrupts that paradise to challenge your feelings about enjoying violence. Because of lunatics like Hoyt and Vaas, you’ll see beautiful things you never would have. You’ll do terrible things that make you uncomfortable and meet fascinating, disgusting people. You’ll sympathize with Jason Brody’s difficult choices as he turns from vapid young man into a monster. Far Cry 3 is important for the same reason as Far Cry 2. It’s a shooter that considers shooters thoughtfully, both in the way they’re designed and the way we play them, and then asks us to do the same. Should massacring hundreds be a great way to entertain ourselves? Maybe not. But it is."

Game Informer - 9/10 - "After two remarkable but uneven offerings, Far Cry finally pulls everything together in the third installment. The diverse open-world action, compelling story, and an alluring environment that begs exploration are all high water marks for the series. This is an island adventure all shooter fans should experience."

GameTrailers - 8.6/10 - "There are miles of terrain to discover in Far Cry 3, filled with numerous trials and objectives to explore at your own pace, and an excellent sense of connection with the game’s unhinged cast. The co-op and competitive multiplayer components stand as comparative low points, but chances are you’ll be so busy trekking through this vast island that you’ll likely write them off as just another symptom of jungle sickness."

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