Paper Mario: Sticker Star Review

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Intelligent Systems Platform: 3DS Players: 1 Release: 2012 Genre: RPG /Adventure Rating: 8.3 \ 10.0: Great

Above is Mario stomping on a pack of Goombas with Jump stickers
 

Before I talk about this game, I'm gonna give some advice. If you've never played a Paper Mario game or are planning on doing so, do not play Super Paper Mario first. I thought playing that game would prepare me for Sticker Star, but it didn't. Why? You'll find out.

 

After five years, a new Paper Mario game has arrived! And this time, Mario's in his stickiest (literally) situation yet! It all begins on the night of the Sticker Fest, an event that celebrates the falling of the Sticker Comet, celestial rock that, according to legend, any wish made upon it is likely to come true. As the star descends to the festival grounds, Bowser arrives to make a wish upon the comet. He than touches the celestial stone, and it explodes! Bowser then transforms into a giant, sparkly sticker, snatches Peach and knocks Mario out. When Mario awakens, he's crumpled up, and you must mash the A button until he's un-crumpled. You must than track a voice that's calling Mario's name. When you find the source of the voice, you'll see that it's Kertsi, a crown-shaped sticker. She tells Mario that the pieces of the Sticker Comet have been scattered about the land, and that he must recover them. Along the way, you'll countless stickers, that can be used it combat. Turn-based combat as a result of simply touching an enemy (but the Mario & Luigi series prepared me for that, unlike Super Paper Mario). You'll also find real life objects, such as scissors and a fan, referred to as "Things". These can be brought back to Decalburg (get it-- "Decal Burg"?), the game's hub, and turned into stickers at the Sling-a-Thing platform. From Decalburg, you can also purchase and sell stickers at a shop (although a couple of stages contain sticker shops as well), and  view all the stickers you've collected throughout the game in a museum. Among other new features is the ability to "paperize". By pressing the Y button, the entire scene is frozen, and there may be outlines on the screen that you can place equally-sized stickers or things to make them appear in the environment. This entry manages to maintain the quirky sense of humor found in all Mario role-playing games. What's wrong with Sticker Star? Not much-- it's just that I prefer Mario platformers over RPGs, although there's a tiny hint of platforming in this game. In World 3-1, for example, you must jump roll across spinning cylinders to cross a pond of poisonous purple goop while Boomerang Bros toss boomerangs at you   from the background. Some stages can be notoriously difficult, and you don't receive much aid and get very poor hints. It's also disappointing that there's no new unique villain as in other Mario RPGs, like Fawful form Mario & Luigi, or Count Bleck from Super Paper Mario. One of the best aspects of the game is its graphics. The characters look truly papery, and the environments look as if they were made of cardboard, giving the game an endlessly charming feel of a diorama come to life. Although, as I said before, I prefer Mario platformers over Mario RPGs, Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a fine addition to the Mario series.

Ups
Awesome stickers
Quirky humor
Some platforming
Charming papery graphics

Downs
Poor hints
No unique villain

ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief and Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $39.99 (Retail / Download)

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Nintendo Land Review

Nintendo Land

 Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo Wii U Players: (Depends on Game) Release: 2012 Genre: Action / Party Rating: 8.7 \ 10.0: Fantastic

Above is the top-down view of your park

Nintendo Land celebrates the release of the Wii U by providing a collection of fun Nintendo-themed games. It's all about friendly rivalry and cooperation at times, but most of all, having a blast! I underestimated this game, but it's incredible! But now I'll get back on track and explain this game at a better pace. Nintendo Land is set at a virtual Mii-filled theme park that features attractions that come in the form of games, each one based on a specific Nintendo series. When you play them, you can earn coins that are used to earn "prizes" to spruce up your park in a retro-looking minigame in which you must drop your coins into holes. The prizes are too Nintendo themed, and range from the Great Deku Tree to a Bulborb. There are three types of attractions: Solo attractions,  Competitive attractions, and Team attractions. In Mario Chase, a Competitive attraction based on the Super Mario series, one Mii, dressed as Mario, uses the Wii U GamePad to view a map on the course, while running away from up to 4four other Miis dressed as Toads, who  are controlled by Wii Remotes  and try catch "Mario" before time expires. In Luigi's Ghost Mansion, a Competitive attraction based on the 2001 GameCube classic, Luigi's Mansion, one Mii, dressed as a ghost and controlled by the GamePad, must track down and knock out up to four other Miis-- ghost hunters-- who must drain the ghost's health, a difficult task, considering the ghost is invisible on the TV screen. In Donkey Kong's Crash Course, a Solo Attraction based on the Donkey Kong series, you must tilt the GamePad to navigate a cart with a Mii face through  a hazardous maze. In Takamuru's Ninja Castle, a Solo attraction based on a 1986 Japanese game called Namo So Murasame Jo, you use the GamePad's touchscreen to fling paper shuriken at cardboard ninja cutouts. In Balloon Trip Breeze, a Solo attraction based on the classic, Balloon Fight, you swipe your stylus across the GamePad's touchscreen to blow your Mii, hoisted up by a balloon, through an aerial obstacle course. In The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest, based on the Legend of Zelda series, up to four Miis dressed as multi-colored Links, three with swords controlled by Wii MotionPlus Remotes, and one with a bow controlled by the GamePad, hack and shoot there way through action-packed quests. In Metroid Blast, based on the Metroid series, up to five Miis, one controlled by the GamePad, battle alien robots on foot or in gunships in Assault  Missions, and in Surface-Air Combat, one Mii flies around in a gunship trying to gun down the other Miis, who fight on foot and try to take out the gunner. In Pikmin Adventure, a Team attraction based on the Pikmin series, one Mii, dressed as the iconic Captain Olimar, battles the robotic forces of Dark Monita with the help of up to four others dressed as a large Pikmin in Challenges, collecting nectar to level up and power-ups to beat up mechanical Beebs, Bulborbs, and more. And in Versus, Olimar and the Pik-Miis (get it?) battle each other for candy, obtained by destroying blocks, enemies, and each other. Octopus Dance, a Solo Attraction based on the game Game & Watch Octopus, you move the GamePad's analog sticks to the rhythm of a dance instructor. In Yoshi's Fruit Cart, a Solo Attraction based on the Yoshi series, you draw a path on the GamePad's touchscreen to navigate a Yoshi-like cart to a door, picking up fruits along the way. the twist is that you must collect every fruit in a certain order, and they're only visible on the TV screen. Additionally, if the path is too long, the cart will run out of gas. In Captain Falcon's Twister Race, based on the F-Zero series, you tilt and turn the GamePad to navigate the Blue Falcon through a raceway under a time limit. In Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, based upon the Animal Crossing series, has up to four players with Wii Remotes assume the roles of Miis dressed as elephants attempting to gather pieces of candy and drop them into holes while being pursued by a pair of Miis dressed as wolves brandishing kitchen utensils, both of which are controlled by the player with the GamePad. If the wolves catch three elephants before they collect the specified number of pieces of candy, they win, but the elephants win otherwise. The game has an element of strategy-- the more candy an elephant collects, the slower they move, but they can drop candy to regain speed and avoid the wolves, and the wolves must find a way to corner their foes. A hindrance is that in some events, the odds are stacked against you (especially Luigi's Ghost Mansion), and others can be frustrating. Nintendo Land is an excellent system launch title, and a Nintendo fan could hardly asked for more!

Ups
Plenty of fun games
Multiplayer games
Tons of prizes to unlock
Games take advantage of the GamePad

Downs
Some unfair and frustrating games

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Violence and Crude Humor Price: $29.99 (Retail)

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Kirby's Dream Land Review

Kirby's Dream Land

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: HAL Laboratory Platform: Nintendo Game Boy Players: 1 Release: 1992 Genre: 2D Platformer Rating: 7.4 \ 10.0: Good

Above is a scene from early in the game

This is the game that started the Kirby series. Kirby's Dream Land illustrates the exploits of Kirby, a pink puffball (who looks white on the game's box art, and appears white in the game due to the Game Boy's black-and-white 8-bit graphics processor) who seeks to defeat the evil and oversized King Dedede and return Dream Land's food to the land. This game was designed to be as easy as Kirby's cutesy appearance makes it seem, so don't expect much challenge before your confrontation with Dedede. But it's still a decent platformer. The soundtrack is catchy, the varied enemies are creative, and the 8-bit graphics are impressive. K'SDR is relatively short-- only five stages long. The stages each begin with a short, humorous cut scene you can skip through in which the stage's name is displayed. In the final stage, Mt. Dedede, you must play through short versions of each stage and have a rematch with each boss, and then battle King Dedede. When you defeat Dedede, Kirby uses the power of Warp Stars to inflate and lift Castle Dedede away. As the credits play, you can see Kirby floating in the background. Then Kirby dumps the stolen food down on Dream Land, and the game is over-- and I'm amused at the "Bye-bye" sign Kirby lifts up. You are then taught how to unlock the challenging Extra mode-- hold down Up, A, and Select all at once on the title screen. When you beat Extra mode, you can view the enemy credits after the staff credits. And then you can reset the game and enter Config mode-- hold down Up, B, and Select, on the title screen. You can then listen to all the game's music and sound effects. Since a vintage copy of the game is probably very expensive, I recommend downloading this game via the Nintendo 3DS eShop for just a few dollars. As an added bonus, the handheld's Circle Pad allows for much more maneuverability in the air.  Kirby's Dream Land, although a brief and hardly difficult quest, is a fine platformer. I recommend it, especially to fans eager to experience the series' beginning.

Ups
Catchy soundtrack
Impressive 8-bit graphics
Secret modes

Downs
Very short
Hardly challenging

ESRB: E Content: Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $3.99 (Download)

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Minecraft: Pocket Edition Review

Minecraft: Pocket Edition

Publisher: Mojang Developer: Mojang Platform: Apple iOS Players: 1-5 (LAN Multiplayer) Release: 2011 Genre: Sandbox / Adventure Rating: 8.3 \ 10.0: Great

Above is gameplay of Survival mode

Minecraft: Pocket Edition is a portable edition of the PC hit, Minecraft, and although it's a little highly priced for an Apple App Store game ($6.99) and lacks  content found in the original version (several block types, the ability to craft, cook, and put objects in chests in Creative mode), it's still a blast to play. It has several advantages over its counterparts, such as solid modifiable touch controls. There's no keyboard, a but arrow icons and a jump icon to replace the W, A, S, and D keys and space bar, and you can simply tap an object to attack it instead of left-clicking. Although the touch interface originally made it seem impossible, you are now able to sprint and . And also, you don't have to go online and log on-- you don't even need a username or password, but you have an editable default username for Multiplayer mode, "Stevie", or "Steve". For those of you who don't know about Minecraft, it's a 3D sandbox game with retro-style graphics in which you dig up various blocks to build shelters. Well, that's the general idea of Survival mode, in which you must mine all the blocks you can and kill animals for food. At night, evil creatures come out. Zombies, skeletons armed with bows, explosive, four-legged creatures called Creepers, and spiders attack at night. Zombies and skeletons burn up in the sun,  but Creepers can survive in daylight, and spiders won't attack during the day unless you provoke them. In Creative mode, your given unlimited of (nearly) every resource to build whatever you desire. You are also able to host a game with up to four other people over Wi-Fi, a feature which has allowed for some of the best gaming experiences I've had with friends. It is possible for an obnoxious sibling or anyone else on your Wi-Fi network to intrude you and your pal's world, but this is an unlikely scenario. You are also able to access external online servers, but the process of logging into one is complex and frustrating. Although Minecraft: Pocket Edition is missing a good chunk of the content of its PC counterpart, it's still a very enjoyable experience that's slowly growing throughout updates, and one of the best titles available on the App Store.

Ups
Easy controls
It's portable Minecraft!
Fun Multiplayer mode

Downs
Missing content

Also available on other mobile devices.

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Fantasy Violence Price: $6.99 (Download)

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Super Mario Bros. 2 Review

Super Mario Bros. 2

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System Players: 1 (Adventure), 2 (Co-Op) Release: 1988 Genre: 2D Platformer / Adventure Rating: 7.4 \ 10.0: Good

Above is a scene from the game's first stage

I wouldn't have enjoyed Super Mario Bros. 2 nearly as much if I hadn't already known so much about it before downloading it via Wii Virtual Console. You see, Super Mario Bros. 2's existence has a slightly confusing story. In Japan, the first sequel to Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, was released, and Nintendo decided not to release it in North America because Nintendo of America decided it wasn't a good idea for some stupid reason. Then Nintendo created another game-- Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic. The protagonist sprites were modified and the game was released it in America as Super Mario Bros. 2, and then it was (re)released in Japan as Super Mario USA (and I feel bad for any player of Dream Factory who bought a modified version of the game simply because it had Mario in it). But then The Lost Levels was featured in collections such as Super Mario All-Stars, and it was ported to the Wii Shop Channel in 2007. Now I'll explain the game. The plot, according to what I read from the text that appears on the title screen, says that Mario is dreaming, and opens a door in his dream after climbing up a flight of stairs and is informed that the villainous toad (the animal, not the cute mushroom guy), Wart, has cast an evil spell upon the dream realm of Subcon. Then Mario wakes up and enters a cave only to see exactly what he saw in his dream. As you start the game, you're given the option to play as one of four characters-- Mario, Luigi, Toad, and, surprise!, Peach. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Mario is the fastest and strongest at picking and throwing items, which I'll get to later; Luigi is the highest jumper; Toad is the fastest, but the shortest jumper; and Peach is the longest jumper, but the slowest item-picker. It all seemed like just another Mario game, until I jumped on an Shy Guy's head to find I was now riding around on it. By pressing B (or 1, if you're playing the downloadable Wii edition with the Wii Remote held sideways), you can pick up most small enemies and hurl them by pressing B (or 1) again. This is also how you pluck and hurl items, which you can uproot from red grass patches. You'll often find turnips and other vegetables in the ground, which can be tossed at foes, but sometimes you'll find bombs, which can be used to destroy otherwise indestructible chunks of land; stopwatches, which temporarily freeze enemies and can be uprooted only after you pluck four identical vegetables; red Koopa shells (one of the references to "true" Mario games) that plow through all the enemies in their path; 1-Up Mushrooms, which, as you probably know, grant you an extra life; and best (and rarest) of all, magic potions, that, when thrown, create a door that brings you to a silhouetted secret area, a mirrored version of the place you entered the door (a remix of the Super Mario Bros. ground theme even plays in these areas). You can uproot, coins that will be used in the end of stage slot-machine bonus game, collect mushrooms that add a life mark to your health display (a concept that has been carried to future games in the series), and enter underground areas via vases, some of warp you to farther worlds when a potion is used on them. Now, when it comes to enemies, there's a heck of a lot more variety than in the first Super Mario Bros., but just know they're not "true" Mario characters, because they're all from Dream Factory. The end-of-stage boss battles lack variety, however. The end-of-stage boss seems to always be the egg-spitting dinosaur, Ostro, who we now know as Birdo (not named after the enemy of the same, I don't think), while the world's final bosses have far more variety. They include Mouser, a bomb-tossing rodent, Triclyde, a three-headed snake, Clawglip, a gigantic, boulder-tossing crab, Fryguy, a massive floating fireball, and of course, Wart. And, just like most old-school Mario games, it's hard. Trust me, if you want to live through the next stage, try your hardest to win the bonus game and get five-life bonus. Although it's not truly a Mario game, I respect Super Mario Bros. 2 for what it is.

Ups
Four characters to play
Variety of power-ups
Creative bosses

Downs
Not a "true" Mario game
Very difficult

ESRB: E Content: ??? Price: $5.00 (Wii ) / $4.99 (3DS) (Download)

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Johnny Kung Fu Review

Johnny Kung Fu

Publisher: UFO Interactive Developer: UFO Interactive Platform: 3DS Players: 1 Release: 2012 Genre: Action / Brawler Rating: 7.6 \ 10.0: Satisfactory

Above is Johnny battling a pack of thugs

Johnny Kung Fu is a pleasant, but not perfect, blend of the era of the Game & Watch, Nintendo's first handheld, and the age of modern brawlers. The plot has Johnny's girlfriend, Paula, get kidnapped by the Mr. Wang Gang (it's obviously a Donkey Kong reference, and Paula's name is obviously a reference to Pauline, the constant damsel in distress of the Donkey Kong series, but this guy capturing Paula for a reason far other then romance!) and you have a pressuring one-hour time limit to conquer all the floors of Wang's skyscraper and save her. There are several types of stages, some old-school and some modern, and one a combination of both-- as far as I know. I'm on floor 15 with approximately 40 minutes remaining. The first old-school stage takes place in a room with three floors (that only count as 1 floor in all). The first floor has a gangster rolling bombs at you that you must jump over. The second floor has another crook throwing cleavers at you. And the third floor has you activate the elevator and dodge a laser defense system to get to it. And all in frame-by-frame motion, dim color, and Game & Watch presentation! The second old-school stage type has you steer Johnny across the floor while juggling bombs and avoiding letting them hit the ground. And the last old-school stage I know of pits you against an individual thug. You're both armed with a sledgehammer. A countdown from three starts, and at zero, a number will appear over you and your opponent's heads. If your number is higher, attack by pressing A. If your number is lower, dodge by moving left. If the numbers are equal, act quickly and attack. The first modern stage has you dispatch a number of gangsters, and then a boss. Your foes will appear as weakened versions of the previous boss you faced in this stage type. The next type of modern stage has you face a single  boss, which, as far as I know, is always a tall, bespectacled, crooked-nosed fighter who throws knives that you must punch out of the way. The retro / modern combo stage begins with a cut-scene showing a crook throw the switch on a circuit breaker, and when Johnny strolls into the room, the power goes out, and then the room reappears in black and white. You must refill a color meter in the corner of the screen by punching the crooks that appear. What makes this a crossover of retro and modern is the modern graphics and the vivid color that's restored as the meter refills, and what makes it also retro is the frame by frame motion and the type of challenge. This is fun, but the time limit encourages you to speed-run, leading to much trial and error. Plus, every time you die, you must sacrifice five minutes of your time limit to continue. At the same time, a lot of the stages are won by the skin of your teeth even if you're a pro gamer. Overall, though, Johnny Kung Fu is a fine homage to gaming's past.

Ups
Tons of retro references
Various stage types
Old school and modern blend

Downs
Very difficult
Lots of trial and error
Too much pressure from time limit

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Fantasy Violence Price: $5.99 (Download)

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New Super Mario Bros. 2 Review

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: 3DS Release: 2012 Genre: 2D Platformer Rating: 9.2 \ 10.0: Excellent

Above is a scene from World 4
 

I'm proud to be writing this review. Why? Because I'm one of the first people in North America, possibly, to own New Super Mario Bros. 2. I got it on it's release date (without preordering it!)-- August 19th, 2012, minutes after my local Target store opened, and I'm enjoying it very much. So far, it's not nearly as good as the original game nor New Super Mario Bros. Wii. But of course, like every Mario platformer, it's still outstanding. Your goal, as usual, is to rescue Princess Peach. This time, the capture occurs while Mario and Luigi are fooling around with raccoon power. Then the Koopalings, whom Bowser Jr. is no longer among, are the capturers, just as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Your goal is not only to rescue Peach, but to acquire a lot of coins. 1 million coins to be exact. Does that sound too hard? Well, Mario's got a few tricks up his sleeves (and not Luigi, because this game, sadly, eliminates the Luigi cheat from the original NSMB. By the way, you can pull this off by holding L and R when you select a file.) that'll help you on your quest to absolute affluence. Among them is the Gold Flower, a rare power-up that allow Mario to hurl golden fireballs that turn blocks into coins and allows you to get more coins out of defeating enemies with fireballs. There are also gold rings that temporarily turn enemies gold, causing them to drop piles of coins when defeated. Kicked Koopa shells trail coins along their path! Coins erupt like a fountain from the pipes of defeated Piranha Plants! Bullet Bills and leaping Cheep Cheeps trail coins as they streak through the sky! You get the picture. There are gold blocks that appear when ten coins are emptied from a block. When you hit one from below or ground-pound one, Mario wears it on head, and until he gets hit or loses it gradually, he'll generate a coin with every step he takes. The faster you move, the more coins you earn. There are blocks that rapidly scroll numbers, and the number showing when the block is hit causes that amount of coins to pop out. And finally, there are special black pipes. When a fireball is thrown at one end, a coin comes out the other. Hidden rooms usually contain very clever coin collecting sequences, such as kicking a shell to make it ricochet of the walls and into POW blocks, exploding blocks full of coins.  New Super Mario Bros. 2 also reintroduces the Super Leaf, a beloved power-up from Super Mario Bros. 3. But if you think I forgot that there were Super Leaves in Super Mario 3D Land, you're wrong. The Super Leaves in 3D Land transform Mario into Tanooki Mario, while in  NSMB2 and SMB3 they transform him into Raccoon Mario, who has the ability to fly after a long dash. It bears similarities to SM3DL, though. There's also the new White Leaf, an ever-lasting invincibility granting Super Leaf that appears only after you die five times in a row on the same stage. This replaces the P-Wing from SM3DL that would take you to the end of the stage when you die 10 times. Now to get to the extras.  Additionally, in a nostalgic reference to Super Mario World, the Reznors return as mini-boss. These are triceratops-like creatures that appear here for the first time in over 20 years! NSMB2, unfortunately, lacks minigames, unlike the original (and not to mention Super Mario 64 DS). It  also lacks the Mario vs. Luigi mode from the original game. To make up for this, the game introduces Coin Rush, in which you must play three randomly selected stages with a short time limit and collect as many coins as you can. If you really enjoy Coin Rush, you can purchase the many DLC stage packs available on the Nintendo eShop. As a bonus, coins you collect in Coin Rush go into your overall total from the main game. Best of all, a second player can join you via local wireless, but sadly not third and fourth players. (If only all platformers could have New Super Mario Bros. Wii's style of four-player co-op...) There's one more great new addition: You know those secret cannon stages in which you climb into a cannon and blast to a distant world? Well, now, the cannon doesn't blast you directly to that advanced world. Instead, when you enter the cannon, a countdown starts, and when it hits "Go", you'll be blasted forward and start dashing without stopping through a silhouetted obstacle course while the catchy Toad House Mario theme remix from the original NSMB plays. You must time each jump perfectly if you want to survive and advance to the secret world. But one of the negative parts is the fact that the game wasn't built for the system like Super Mario 3D Land before it-- there's no real reason to crank up the 3D. Even so, the 3D adds some smoothness and depth to the background, which makes it less noticeable that the visuals aren't particularly impressive from close up. Although New Super Mario Bros. 2 isn't nearly as good as the original game to me, it's one of the best titles available on the 3DS and for sure the system's greatest 2D platformer. I still highly recommend it to any fan of Mario, platformers, or anyone who loves gold.  With all that fun coin-collecting, you'll become as greedy as Wario!

Ups
SO MANY COIN$!!!
The real Super Leaf is back!
Awesome new power up-- the Gold Flower
New Coin Rush mode
Download Play 2-player co-op

Downs
No VS. Mode or Minigames
Not built for 3DS
Visuals are unimpressive close up

ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief Price: $29.99 (Retail / Download)

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Scribblenauts Review

Scribblenauts

Publisher: Warner Bros. Developer: 5th Cell Platform: DS Players: 1 Release: 2009 Genre: Puzzle / Sandbox Rating: 7.8 \ 10.0: Satisfactory

Above is the concept of the game's object creation system

I overestimated Scribblenauts-- highly. That's not to say it's terrible or anything-- but I might not have bought it if it wasn't for the fact that Super Scribblenauts, one of the most infuriatingly difficult-yet-greatest games I've ever played, wouldn't exist without this game. But I should've realized that Scribblenauts would be so inferior to its sequel. It doesn't give you control options like Super Scribblenauts-- the frustrating touchscreen controls are mandatory. You must purchase new worlds with Ollars, the game's currency. There are pressuring object-creation pars in levels. And worst of all-- you can't use adjectives! But it isn't all bad-- the game is quite good, in fact. I saw a bright side to the game when I realized that there were a few superiorities. The object-creating concept seemed as fresh as ever, and there are several infectiously catchy tunes that weren't featured in Super Scribblenauts. Although the stage creator from the sequel isn't present, I find that I sometimes want to use the game's level layouts for creating custom levels, and you're welcome to do that through Level Editor, a mode that allows you to create a level using the template of a pre-existing level that you've cleared. Although it's not perfect, I recommend Scribblenauts to anyone with exceptional mental abilities who enjoys and enjoys the clever concept.

Ups
Fresh premise
Catchy music
Level Editor

Downs
Touchscreen-only controls
Object-creation pars

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Violence and Comic Mischief Price: $19.99 (Retail)

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Super Mario Sunshine Review

Super Mario Sunshine

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo GameCube Players: 1 Release: 2002 Genre: 3D Platformer / Adventure Rating: 9.0 \ 10.0: Excellent

Above is a scene from Gelato Beach

Super Mario Sunshine, as some know, is s sequel to Super Mario 64, despite being almost nothing at all like its predecessor, or any Mario game in general. Mario and Peach are vacationing in the tropical paradise of Isle Delfino, but their plans are ruined when they arrive at the airstrip to find that Mario's face has been drawn in paint-like goop. From there, you must locate the FLUDD-- Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device-- on the other side of the airstrip. FLUDD is a device built in a similar manner to a jetpack composed of a water tank and a nozzle. You'll use FLUDD for cleaning up "graffiti", defeating foes, and more. When you find FLUDD, a cut-scene showing him identifying Mario plays, in which he scopes Mario out from his perspective, and footage of previous Mario games plays on the bottom-left corner of the screen. You must squirt the thick-painted nose of the Mario face painting until a giant goop-covered (and toothless) Piranha Plant erupts from it. You'll encounter this foe many times throughout the game. Squirt his open mouth three times to defeat him. Once you've taken him out, the paint will clear away, and the game's first Shine Sprite appears. FLUDD later explains (yes, FLUDD can talk, and I will therefore refer to FLUDD as "he") that Shine Sprites are magical objects that once gathered around the Shine Gate, which brings sunshine to Delfino, and they've gone missing. It's up to you to recover all 120. And that's only after you get arrested and brought to court and charged for dirtying up Delfino with graffiti. Of course, Mario isn't the true culprit. It's his mysterious imposter Shadow Mario (who I know the identity of and won't tell). As soon as you're released from court and into Delfino Plaza, the Pianta police (the Piantas, as well as the Nokis, debuted in Sunshine) order you to clean up the mess. Near the ocean, you'll find another huge mess. You'll have to once again fight "Goopy Piranha", the big goopy Piranha Plant as I like to call him. Once he's defeated, the mess clears and the Great Pianta Statue erupts from the ground, and Shadow Mario swoops in and snatches Peach. You'll have to squirt him till he drops Peach, and then the adventure truly begins. Shadow Mario runs off and paints a rainbow M on the Great Pianta Statue and hops through it. Rainbow M's act as portals to stages. As you collect more Shine Sprites, more and more destinations are revitalized, such as the boathouse and the lighthouse. The boathouse serves as a shop, where you can exchange blue coins for Shine Sprites. If that doesn't sound very Mario-ish, wait till you see some of the old enemies' new incarnations: Piranha Plants are goopy and toothless, Bloopers tread land, have four realistic tentacles and suckers, and die in water (with the exception from the super speedy ones you get to ride on water and can even move on land-- so awesome!); and Koopas look almost nothing like their original selves-- unless their incarnations from the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros., released two years before Super Mario Bros., count, as they crawl in both games. There aren't even Goombas! I'm not at all trying to make the game look bad, though. (Although I could complain about the cruddy camera, as well as the return of the one-death-and-you're-out-of-the-level concept). Adding to the un-Mario-ishness, but to the variety, are the FLUDD's secondary nozzles. If it wasn't unusual enough to see Mario short-sleeved and wearing a jetpack-like device, FLUDD has a Hover Nozzle that allows you to hover shortly; a Turbo Nozzle that allows you to burst across the landscape with sonic speed; and a Rocket Nozzle that allows you to burst skywards and snatch out-of-reach items. I'm still not at all trying to make the game look bad-- as the series has evolved throughout the last decade, some of these things have become more and more true to the modern Mario formula.  Noticeable are the visuals, which hold up very well for decade-plus old game. There are a few rough models, but I the exotic landscapes are almost beautiful, and the water looks surprisingly realistic. The tropical-themed soundtrack is memorable as well. One of the greatest features about the game is that it has an more elaborate story, unlike nearly every other Mario game. In addition, the game's well-rendered cut-scenes are fully voiced! Sure, Peach had some lines in SM64, but no one else did. The un-Mario-ishness is combated by features like Yoshis (that spew fruit juice that transformers enemies into floating platforms and will evaporate if they run out of juice) and secret platforming stages in which you're deprived of FLUDD by Shadow Mario and an amusing acapella rendition of the "Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme" plays in the background. I highly recommend Super Mario Sunshine to any platforming fan, with the exclusion of Mario-haters and Super Mario 64 worshipers. Once I got far in the game, all my complaints meant nothing, and I loved the game. Super Mario Sunshine, as well as GameCubes, are hard to come by these days. Just be aware-- you don't need a GameCube system-- you can always get a Wii and a GameCube Memory Card and controller(s). It may be one of the only GameCube games I've played, but rest assured that it's one of the greatest titles in the system's library

Ups
FLUDD has multiple nozzles
Great visuals
Catchy soundtrack
More complex story
Secret platforming stages

Downs
Some untraditional elements are not good

ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief Price: ???

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Super Paper Mario Review

Super Paper Mario

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Intelligent Systems Platform: Wii Players: 1 Release: 2007 Genre: 2D Platformer / RPG Rating: 8.4 \ 10.0: Great

Above is a 3D scene from the game's first stage

I'll assume that Super Paper Mario is a rather untraditional entry in the Paper Mario RPG series-- it's more platformer than RPG. The game begins at Mario and Luigi's house on a peaceful day. Luigi states that it's so peaceful, it's boring, and that he wished that something surprising would happen so they could go on another adventure. They're suddenly told by Toad that the Princess has been kidnapped, and probably by Bowser-- no surprise. So the Mario Bros. sneak into Castle Koopa while Bowser is plotting to kidnap Peach, and he spots Mario and Luigi. Suddenly, a mysterious, deranged figure appears out of thin air. He says that he's Count Bleck and that he's captured Peach. He casts a spell on Mario that renders him unconscious, then creates a vortex that sucks up everyone but the portly plumber. Mario wakes up to see a butterfly-like creature named Tippi who warps him to Flipside, a town in the sky that will soon be consumed by a vortex if Mario can't recover all eight Pure Hearts. After you find an ancient magician in a room behind an invisible door in the first stage,  which begins in 2D, he charges you all the coins you have (or 10,000 coins, his original price, which I highly doubt you'll manage to collect) to gain the ability to "flip". By pressing A, you can "flip" into 3D. While in 3D, a meter will appear under your HP display-- your Dimension Meter. If your Dimension Meter empties, you'll take damage. In order to defeat Count Bleck, you'll need the assistance of Peach and Bowser (who will eventually escape Bleck's grasp and wind up in Flipside, and become playable.) and several ancient creatures called Pixls. The first Pixl, Thoreau, allows you to grab certain enemies and items and toss them. The second Pixl, Boomer, can transform into a bomb to destroy obstacles and activate switches. The third, Slim, lets you become so thin that all moving hazards will pass through you if you stand still. The fourth, Thudly, allows you to jump up and slam into the ground, dealing heavy damage to unshielded foes. And the fifth, Carrie, transforms into a hovering platform, allowing you to move much faster and cross pits of spikes. These are the Pixls who will find during the first half of the game, and there are even more to discover. Throughout the game, you'll play as Peach and Bowser and escape Count Bleck's fortress, and they will join Mario on his quest as fully playable characters. Peach can float with her parasol by holding down the jump button, and Bowser can breath fire by crouching. However, I sometimes think the hints you receive from Tippi to help you solve complex problems are overly cryptic, making me stuck on certain parts of single stages for a very long time (thank goodness for Save Blocks). Also, some stage segments require you to use multiple characters (you can easily swap you character out from your item menu), like flipping into 3D with Mario in order to get on top of an otherwise un-scalable object, and then gliding over a long gap with Peach and her parasol, it can be frustrating to fail and have to repeat the process. Additionally, the script is very text-heavy. The writing is hilarious, but there's just so much, and sometimes I just wish the characters would shut their mouths! Still, Super Paper Mario is a superb platforming-RPG, and I hope to see more games with its unique dimension-swapping concept.

Ups
Unique dimension-swapping concept
Creative and humorous
Variety of playable characters
Platforming focus
Pixls

Downs
Very text-heavy script
Difficult stretches

ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief and Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $19.99 (Retail)

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Metal Slug Anthology Review

Metal Slug Anthology

Publisher: SNK  Developer: SNK PlayMore Platform: Wii Players: 1-2 Release: 2006 Genre: 2D Shooter / 2D Platformer Rating: 9.1 \ 10.0: Excellent

Above is a scene from Metal Slug 4
 

As its title implies (and its release date, too), Metal Slug Anthology is a collection of the seven home console and arcade Metal Slug games released 1996 through 2006 that celebrates the tenth anniversary of the series.. Those seven games are Metal Slugs 1 through 6, and Metal Slug X, MS 2's improved remake. The Metal Slug series tells of a military called the Regular Army and there war against the evil General Morden and his army, the Rebellion to foil his plot to rule the world. All seven playable games are pixel-perfect ports of their arcade counterparts, so the main differences are the control scheme and the adjustable difficulty, which can be modified from the game-selection screen. Since these differences are so small, players of the arcade versions of the games should already know what to expect. Pure, intense, action fueled by waves of military vehicles, destructive weapons, and plenty of other militaristic aspect. I once struggled to beat even the first stage of a Metal Slug game due to my limited quarters, but you now have the option to play with unlimited lives. This allows you to see how good you really are at the game, due to the complete lack of the stress of coin-deprivation, for that made me nervous when playing the arcade versions. You'll otherwise have to spend virtual credits. Better yet, you're actually still rewarded for beating a game even with unlimited lives. Completing the game on Easy mode rewards you with three virtual tokens. Completing the game on Normal mode gets you four tokens. And beating it on Hard mode gets you five. But what are the tokens for? For purchasing in-game memorabilia! All this adds up to a very good collection, but as much as I've enjoyed the Metal Slug series, none of the games have been perfect, which is about my only reason not to give Metal Slug Anthology a perfect score! Either way, I highly recommend  Metal Slug Anthology to anyone who has the slightest interest in action games.

Ups
Nonstop intense action
Awesome weapons
In-game memorabilia store
Adjustable difficulty level

Downs
No Metal Slug game is perfect

ESRB: T Content: Blood and Violence Price: $49.99 (Retail)

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Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Review

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure

Publisher: Activision Developer: Toys For Bob Platform: Wii Players: 1-2 Release: 2011 Genre: Action / RPG Rating: 8.6 \ 10.0: Fantastic


Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a spin of the Spyro series with a neat twist. In order to play, you must place an action figure-like toy on a device dubbed the Portal of Power, and it'll appear as a fully playable character in the game. The story has the evil Portal Master Kaos plotting to conquer the Skylands, and banishes the Skylanders to Earth, where they appear tiny and immobile. You'll have to hack, slash, shoot, and bash your way through a series of action-packed stages before you can battle Kaos. Before you can enter Kaos's lair, you must restore the Core of Light, the magical source of the Syland's existence. There are even small platforming sequences: platforming comes in when you have to cross gauntlets of Boost Pads and retracting spikes and rush to hurl a bomb at an underwise indestructible object, as well as other challenges. Your enjoyment of Skylanders primarily depends on what Skylanders you have and how good they are, mainly because of the special Element Gates. These are entrances to secret areas that can only be unlocked by a Skylander of the element emblazoned on the gate. This can lead to bonds with Skylanders you once didn't like before. For example, when I encountered a Life Element Gate, I realized that the only Life Skylander I had was Stealth Elf, and I've been playing as her ever since. Hardcore Skylanders fanatics may find themselves spending lots of money on certain elements of figures just so they won't miss a single secret area. Throughout a stage, you may encounter a treasure chest or a gift box. Chests contain loot, while gift boxes contain stat-boosting hats. Each Skylander can be upgraded with in-game gold. After purchasing the first several upgrades, you'll have to pick between two skill trees to buy upgrades from. Adding to the fun is the Arena mode, where you and a friend can duke it out. The negativity comes in when you realize how difficult the game is at certain parts without certain Skylanders, as many are overpowered in comparison, and some of the occasional lock-opening puzzles are almost unsolvable. But these flaws are fairly minor, and they shouldn't keep you from enjoying Sklanders: Spyro's Adventure, although I'm sure younger children will regardless. I may kind of be among that audience, this is a great game in its own right.

Ups
Solid action
Large variety of Skylanders
Varied gameplay
Skill trees

Downs
Difficult without certain Skylanders

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Violence Price: $39.99 (Retail)

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Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Review

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Publisher: Activision Developer: Griptonite Platform: DS Players: 1 Release: 2008 Genre: Adventure / BrawlerRating: 8.6 \ 10.0: Fantastic 

Loosely based upon the 2007 blockbuster movie Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows delivers an exceptionally solid brawling experience. The story tells of a gooey black alien substance that's consuming people and animals, turning them into zombielike drones. You will encounter different varieties of theses foes throughout the game. As you progress in the game, you’ll be able to swap between your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to black Spider-Man, who is stronger, but antiheroic. Both of them have a large set of skills to unlock and purchase. It’s also rather fun to mindlessly use button-mashing combos against the infected innocents— I rarely use specific moves when in the heat of battle— all for the effort of obtaining orbs. Red orbs restore your health and purple orbs serve as currency. I also enjoy beating the crud out of the practice dummy from a save point, even though I know I won't even deter it. Speaking of save points, that’s where the negativity comes in. I normally only find save points after tons of time spent beating up brainwashed baddies and exploring it seems that I'll never find another one. In other words, save points are downright scarce. This certainly isn’t a major issue, though. Although I could nitpick just a bit more. My other complaint is that once you get KO’d, it’s difficult to recover. Before getting back on your feet, you must play through a sequence in which you must drag health-replenishing orbs to Spider-Man to strengthen him under a time limit. For those who have a screen protector, I recommend using the eraser of a brand-new pencil, and if you’re lucky enough, you’ll have replenished all your health in no time flat! While theses aren’t major annoyances, they can sometimes limit the experience, but Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is very enjoyable.

Ups
Solid brawling action
Various purchasable skills

Downs
Scarce save points
Difficult knockout recovery system

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $19.99 (Retail)

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Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Review

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Publisher: LucasArts Developer: Traveler's Tales Platform: Wii Players: 1-2 Release: 2007 Genre: Action / Adventure Rating: 9.7 \ 10.0: Masterful 

Wow. I was already a big Star Wars fan when I first played this game (I was five years olds, but also new to gaming), and for that simple matter, I thought I couldn't underestimate it. I was wrong. Over time, I've grown to like The Complete Saga far more than I thought I would. It doesn't offer much  to those who've already played through its predecessors, 2005's Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and 2006's Lego Star Wars: The Original Trilogy. The Video Game is based on the prequel trilogy of the Star Wars film franchise (Episodes I-III) while The Original Trilogy is based on the first three films-- the Original Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI). The Complete Saga recycles all of its predecessor's stages and playable characters while also throwing in some new ones, but for newbies of Lego Star Wars (like I was at the time), it's really quite fun. The addictive nature of smashing Lego structures to obtain Lego studs (the game's currency) is surprisingly addictive, and can lead you to collect every stud in sight. This is the first of many Lego games to use this concept. You need studs to purchase new characters and vehicles. (You can even buy and play as Indiana Jones!) Not only does your stud-collecting pay off, but so does your character-buying. Many stages contain doors that can only be opened by specific characters, such as bounty hunters and Astromech droids. Behind these doors may be one of the stage's 10 Mini Kits. Mini Kits are cylindrical Lego objects that you must collect in order to assemble small Lego vehicles themed after their corresponding locations. You can view these from outside your hub, the Mos Eisley cantina. Other secrets are humorous, such as a movie theater that streams Lego Star Wars movie footage and rooms with disco balls and dance floors. You can also freely customize two Lego avatars from the cantina. Although your avatar can't unlock secret rooms, there's nothing I enjoy more than running around as a caped commando strangling baddies with the Dark Force and slicing up adversaries with a red-bladed Lightsaber in Free Play mode. Free Play allows you to play stages you've beat with any character (or vehicle on vehicle stages), and a group of randomly selected others that can unlock secret areas. But you don't unlock Free Play in a stage until you beat the Story Mode of it, in which you must play the stage with its corresponding characters. Story Mode is also the only way you can watch a stage's humorous cut-scenes, which add laughs and Legos to new versions of iconic film scenes. There are also bounty hunter missions, which you can't play until you purchase all the bounty hunters in the game (with the exclusion of Jango Fett, Zam Wessel, and any other bounty hunter not from the Original Trilogy). In them, you must track down the character hidden within the stage under a time limit. Finally, there are bonus stages, which you unlock from acquiring Gold Bricks. Gold Bricks are earned by collecting enough studs in a stage to earn a True Jedi ranking. Most of the bonus stages are based on normal stages, but some aren't-- like Lego Town and Lego City, which both challenge you to obtain one million studs in a non-Star Wars-themed city. All this fun can be enjoyed with a pal, including the two-player only Arcade mode. In this mode, you and the other player must duke it out in a small area under a time limit. (Tip: If you have purchased a ghost character, use it. They're invincible, and your friend will get really ticked as he / she tries hopelessly to defeat you. Pick the character before your friend does or you'll get really angry you! It's happened to me and it's not fun!) All these bonuses make it so the game doesn't always feel genuinely Star Wars, although it remains true to the formula for a good deal of time. The soundtrack is even composed entirely of John William's incredible tunes, so it's pretty much the best game soundtrack ever. You'll here all your favorite themes, my favorites being the "Star Wars Main Theme", "Mos Eisley Cantina Theme", "Imperial March" (Darth Vader's theme), "Duel of the Fates" (Darth Maul vs. Qui-Gon Jin), and "Battle of the Heroes" (Anakin Skywalker vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi, not Darth Vader vs. Ben Kenobi)  (of course)  The visuals aren't great, but that can be excused because this is essentially a port of two previous-gen games. If I have any complaint about this outstanding game, it's that some stretches of the stages are infuriatingly challenging. One part of a stage took me over an hour to beat-- you must assemble a massive puzzle while endless waves of Stormtroopers rush out of two doors. Getting struck by even a single laser while constructing the puzzle will cause it to break. You can temporarily close the doors, but it leaves you ill-prepared for the next assault. One other small issue, a control bug,  is that, occasionally, you'll start veering off course, but all you have to do is unplug and plug back in the Nunchuck. Despite its minor flaws, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga stands out above nearly every game I've played, and it holds many great memories for me.

Ups
Tons of content
Remains true to formula
Sense of humor
Two-player co-op or versus
All the music is from the movie

Downs
Infuriating at times
Mild control problems

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Cartoon Violence Price: $49.99 (Retail)

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New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Wii Players: 1-4 Release: 2009 Genre: 2D Platformer Rating: 9.5 \ 10.0: Masterful

Many people enjoyed New Super Mario Bros. (me being among them),which became a millions-selling DS hit. But in some ways, this top-notch pseudo-sequel is just as good. The new story is better than its predecessor. It's Peach's birthday, and when her massive cake arrives, the Koopalings jump out of it (how they got in there, nobody knows) and carry her away. That's right-- the Koopalings, Bowser's magic wand-wielding children from Super Mario Bros. 3 and  Super Mario World (and not to mention Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga). NSMBW also brings back another element just from SMB3: Bowser's Doom Ship. But of course, since it has "new" in its title, you'd expect the game to introduce new things. It does. There are new enemies, a new world, and more. There are also new power-ups. There's the Propeller Mushroom, which allows you to burst through the sky with a shake of your Wii Remote and slow down your descent the same way; and the Penguin Suit, which appears as a waddling penguin and gives Mario a penguin transformation and allows him to spit snowballs, slide on ice and water, and more. The Ice Flower isn't new, but it has a far different effect than it did in Super Mario Galaxy, the only other game which it has appeared. Rather than temporarily turning you to ice and allowing you to create frozen paths on water and lava, it simply allows you to hurl enemy-freezing snowballs. Unfortunately, the game completely lacks the fun minigames of its predecessor, but instead features two additional modes: Coin Battle, in which opposing players must race to collect the most coins scattered throughout a stage, and Free Play, in which you compete in stages in attempt to clear the majority of them first. The game also introduces four-player cooperative play in the main mode. In some parts of the game, you're going to really need some assistance, or else it can be infuriatingly difficult. This is why the game includes a Super Guide feature. If you die eight times in the same stage, a  green block will appear where you restart from. Hitting the block will enable you to make Luigi clear the stage for you, but he doesn't uncover secrets Among other improvements are the vastly upgraded music and the new varieties of Toad houses-- like ones that only contain only Super Stars to add to your power-up inventory-- a feature of Super Mario Bros 3. Also adding to the fun is the inclusion of Yoshis! Mario's prehistoric pal is now found in some stages, and in his first appearance in a Mario side-scroller since Super Mario World. (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, SMW's 1995 Super NES pseudo-sequel, doesn't count) The game is at its best when you and three friends are all riding Yoshis simultaneously. But NSMBW scraps the homage to Toadsworth, the mustachioed and elderly Toad and Peach's butler, that was present in the original NSMB. But any of the flaws I mentioned are incredibly minor, and I can't recommend this game enough to platforming fans.  This is by far the greatest 2D platformer I've ever played.

Ups
New power-ups
New modes
Upgraded graphics and sound
Inclusion of Yoshi
Inclusion of the Koopalings
Chaotically fun multiplayer

Downs
Lack of minigames
Scrapped homage

ESRB: E Content: Comic Mischief Price: $49.99 (Retail)

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Kid Icarus: Uprising Review

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Sora Platform: 3DS Players: 1 (Adventure), 2-8 (Together) Release: 2012 Genre:  Third-Person-Shooter /  AdventureRating: 9.4 \ 10.0: Excellent

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” says Pit as he bursts into action at the start of the game. The angelic protagonist, Pit, last appeared in 2008 in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which was directed by the same person) but this statement is most likely related to the fact that he hasn’t starred in a solo game since 1991’s Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the Game Boy, which I never played. It’s not a sequel to that game, but it serves as a follow-up to the original Kid Icarus, which was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

Enough with history talk— now comes the plot. The game is set 25 years after the original, which is the time between the releases of the two games. Pit is once again tasked with defeating Medusa and her Underworld army. Throughout the ques which is influenced by Greek mythology,  you must take down Medusa’s commanders. You'll also have to deal with Dark Pit, Pit’s evil doppelganger who’s created when Pit smashes the Mirror of Truth, which creates copies of whatever looks at it. Before beginning a stage (referred to as a chapter) you must select an “intensity” at the Fiend's Cauldron. The intensity ranges from 0.0 (virtually impossible to die) to 9.0 (virtually impossible to survive) Only 2.0 can be played for free. You’ll have to pay hearts (the game’s currency) to play at anything lower and wager hearts to play at a harder level. Each of the game’s stages are split into three segments: a five-minute flying sequence, a segment in which you must traverse the land, and a battle with one of Medusa’s commanders. The Goddess of Light, Palutena, chats with Pit throughout the game, and the games dialogue is very humorous, and occasionally contains Nintendo references (I faintly remember hearing a Nintendogs joke when I was battling a flaming three-headed dog). Strangely enough, the characters are aware they're in a video game. There are many other characters who Pit bickers with, including Dark Pit and Medusa. You even have a humorous dialogue with Medusa's commanders as you approach the end of the stage, and as you battle. The plot of Kid Icarus has a complex storyline. After slaying Medusa, you will encounter her creator, Hades, God of the Underworld. He creates a myth about a Wish Seed that can grant any wish, and informs the humans of its existence so that they'll fight each other to extinction over it.  And then, there's Viridi, Goddess of Nature, who thinks humans are ungrateful barbaric creatures that ruin the Earth, and tries to wipe them out with nuclear bombs (made from natural materials). Instead of wielding a simple bow throughout the game, you can amass an expansive arsenal ranging from nine weapon categories: blades, staffs, arms, claws, palms, orbitars, cannons, clubs, and bows. There are countless weapons, each one with a certain use. Weapons can be found randomly in treasure chests, earned by slaying bosses, and by other means. In addition to weapons, you can also assign several magic powers to your arsenal, including massive jump boosts, poisonous attacks, the ability to transform into a missile, the ability to summon a fiery explosion, and more. These powers are assigned to a grid, with each one assuming a different Tertromino-like shape based on value. You can have as many powers as you can manage to fit into the grid, and it feels like a fun jigsaw puzzle. In your Adventure mode menu, you can visit the arms altar. Here, you can convert weapons into hearts, purchase new ones, or fuse them together to make stronger ones. The game gives you weapons a value rating, so you'll know which weapon to turn into hearts if you end up with two of the same one. Your arsenal can be tested at the Practice Range. In addition to the epic single-player quest, there are two multiplayer modes: Free-For-All, in which you can battle numerous fellow KI: U owners in a large arena, and Light vs. Dark, in which you must team up to defeat your opponents. In Light vs. Dark, each team has a health gauge that depletes as your teammates die. When your teams gauge empties completely, the next team member who dies is reborn as either Pit (if you’re on the Light side) or Dark Pit (if you’re on the Dark side), and the opposing team must defeat him to win. There’s a twist: the more powerful your weapon, the more of your team’s health is eaten away when you die. The best performing player in a multiplayer match receives a mystery bonus: Either a weapon or power. You are also able to play these modes with CPU opponents with controllable difficulty, or have a private match with your buddies. As with the Super Smash Bros. series, you are able to collect countless trophies and listen to a musical pictures that can be viewed at any time. Which reminds me, whatever you're doing in the game, you'll be treated to a beautiful orchestrated musical score that combines amazing original pieces (most notably Dark Pit's theme) with improved rearrangements of classic tunes that were already great as chiptunes. The soundtrack trails not far behind the Super Mario Galaxy games on my list of favorite video game music, a very difficult feat for a game to accomplish. Even so, the game isn't perfect . Sometimes, even the default and low difficulty for the main game’s stages can be frustrating, and the touchscreen camera controls are mediocre. Additionally, this game makes it clear that the 3DS was not built for shooters. The clamshell design of the handheld doesn't allow for triggers, but thankfully, you're not forced to use either of the shoulder buttons. While it may sound awkward, I use the Y button to shoot. The system also doesn't have a right circle pad, meaning that you must either purchase the circle pad pro attachment to have tradtional aiming or use the touchscreen, which I found to be easier than most people did.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is very well worth playing. It's one of the best titles available for the 3DS, and an absolute must-have for any Nintendo fanatic. But either way, you should really give it a shot.

Ups
Epic single-player quest
Fun additional modes
Tons of extra content
Spectacular musical score
Hilarious script

Downs
Default difficulty can be frustrating
Mediocre touchscreen camera controls
System not built for shooters

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes Price: $39.99 (Retail / Download)

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Super Mario 64 Review

Super Mario 64

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo 64 Players: 1 Release: 1996Genre: 3D Platformer / AdventureRating: 8.3 \ 10.0: Great

Sure, Super Mario 64 is old, but it’s widely regarded as one of the greatest videogames of all time. I don’t think it’s perfect, but it’s still pretty darn good. The plot has an unusual twist— Bowser doesn’t imprison Princess Peach in his lair— instead he traps her behind the stained glass window on the front of her own castle. At the start of the game, an invitation to the Mushroom Castle is read aloud by Peach, the camera rotates around Peach's courtyard, then focuses on the ground. A green Warp Pipe emerges, and out pops a full 3D model of Mario. Back in the mid-'90s, this was mind-blowing, and I can imagine why. This game revolutionized gaming with its full-3D environments and exploration. After crossing a bridge and walking through the door of the castle, you’ll see several doors marked with stars inside, and one that’s unmarked.  The numbered doors are locked at the start of the game, but the locked rooms can be accessed once you acquire the matching number of Power Stars, yellow stars that you must collect to complete a level, equal to the number on the door. Every room has one or more large paintings inside. When touched some paintings will teleport you to the course they’re represented by. Each course has 7 missions for you to complete, such as taking down a boss, racing a foe, collecting the 8 red coins hidden throughout the course, and more. Most courses are fairly small— they’re just large landmasses. Though the courses may be contain other small islands, they’re just as hard to explore. It takes a while to discover every secret and search every nook and cranny of the course, and it feels great to explore so freely. Crash Bandicoot may have been 3D, but it was linear. One minor annoyance is that because of the mission’s brevities, dying just once will send you hurtling back into the castle. Another quibble is that the difficultly continuously rises with each mission, up to the point where you want to give up. Also, the controls can be a bit loose and overly responsive at times— for example, if you accidently run in a circle when you intended to curve in a single direction, you’re likely to have to run in a few more loops before getting back on track. But platforming pros can use this to their advantage, such as using Mario’s overly responsive jumping to scale small mountainsides and the like. A new twist in the controls is Mario’s newfound ability to punch and kick. If you rapidly tap the B button three times in a row, Mario will perform punches on the fist two taps, and a kick on the third. Kicks sometimes destroy objects and enemies that you would otherwise pick up, like  crates and Bob-ombs. In addition to combos, Mario can perform other attacks, such as lunging forward by pressing B while moving forwards. Also, minor visual glitches sometimes occur, but it's a small issue that you likely will not care about. Despite these minor problems, there’s an excellent adventure to be played through. It can be immensely satisfying to discover the games many secrets. Throughout the game, you’ll meet friendly Bob-ombs, a fleet-footed Koopa, a mother penguin who’s lost her baby, an owl who flies you over courses, and other characters. Super Mario 64 is a highly entertaining classic, and it’s not to be missed by any Mario diehard.

Ups3D-ness!!!
Non-linear
New moves
Satisfying-to-discover secrets
Unique characters

Downs
1 death means restarting the stage
Frustrating difficulty rise
Loose and overly responsive controls
Minor visual glitches (but who cares?)

ESRB: E Content: ??? Price: $10.00 (Download)

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Super Mario 64 DS Review

Super Mario 64 DS

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo DS Players: 1 (Adventure, Minigames), 2-4 (Vs.) Release: 2004Genre: 3D Platformer / AdventureRating: 9.0 \ 10.0: Masterful

I may have already played the original Super Mario 64 via Wii Virtual Console and liked it a lot, but in some ways, this portable remake, also a DS launch title (as was Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64), is better. After you receive a letter form Princess Peach inviting Mario to come to the castle for cake, a Lakitu Bro. begins circling around Peach Castle with a video camera, and you see Yoshi sleeping on the roof. Let me get this straight, Lakitu Bros. are helpful Lakitus, unlike the spiky bug-tossing enemies you’ll encounter. Mario then pops out of a pipe near the castle, followed by Luigi and Wario. Then Luigi jumps on Wario’s head, and get the pleasure of viewing a short animated fight sequence. As the three mustachioed heroes (one being a troublesome brute) enter the Mushroom Castle, Yoshi awakens and asks the Lakitu Bro. where Mario is, thus beginning your adventure. As it turns out, Mario, Luigi and Wario, and Peach have been trapped inside the castle. Yes, it may seem like a hindrance that you can’t play as Mario at the start of the game, but after defeating Goomboss the Goomba king on a hidden course, you obtain the key to unlocking Mario from behind a door. Walking through this door changes you from your current character to Mario and vice versa (if you're playing as Yoshi, that is). Beside that door are the doors which Luigi and Wario are trapped behind. The only other way to play as another character is to dispatch the enemy wearing that character’s hat and touch it. Unfortunately, you’ll lose the cap if you take  a single enemy hit. But playing as Yoshi has its advantages. You can swallow enemies and turn them into eggs, and his famous flutter kick, makes reaching high places easy. There are four power-ups to use. There’s the Koopa shell, returning from the original SM64, which you can ride around on and plow through enemies; the Mushroom, which makes temporarily gigantic and invincible; the Wing Cap, a Mario-only power-up that allows you to soar over the landscape and reach high places; and the Power Flower, a plant that grants you a special ability depending on the character you’re playing as. Mario’s ability is to swell up and float. Yoshi’s ability is to breathe fire. Luigi’s ability is to become invisible, allowing him to pass through certain enemies and objects. And Wario’s ability is to turn to metal, making him immune and allowing him to walk on the seabed in underwater areas. If you're a player of the original SM64 and think Luigi and Wario's superpowers sound similar to the effects of the Vanishing and Metal Caps, you're not wrong. In fact, they're literally replaced by those powers-- there's now only one Question Mark Switch and  one color of item-holding blocks (the red Question Mark Block). Unfortunately, this remake brings back of the issues of the original SM64. Minor (and sometimes major) visual glitches sometimes occur, and just one death will earn you a hurl back into the castle if you're not already there. Also, the playable characters walk sluggishly, and the only way to pick up the pace without holding X or Y to dash is to walk without stopping for several seconds. Even then, you'll be wishing you would move faster. All the playable characters but Mario have different strengths and weak points. Mario is rounded, Yoshi and Luigi jump very high, but Luigi’s low on power, and Yoshi can’t even attack-- he can only swallow enemies and objects to turn them into eggs or single bursts of fire to breath. Wario lacks speed and agility (not to mention intelligence), but he's able to smash large objects and can punch enemies all the way across the screen! And I got this all from the instruction manual. One of the biggest differences between SM64DS and the original is the fact that there are 150 Power Stars to collects-- 30 more than in the original. There’s also a new room in then castle-- the Rec Room, a place where Peach used to play as a child. It not only contains old toys, but you can find a hidden star by jumping into the painting of a beach. There’s also a door that can be entered only after you’ve obtained eight stars. Behind is a room with a window with a balcony behind it and a painting of Mario. Ironically enough, passing through the painting brings you to the course in which you must battle Goomboss for the key to rescuing Mario. Also, selecting the Rec Room icon from the home menu allows you to play minigames which you can unlock by catching rabbits in the castle. As you choose a minigame, the World 1 world map music from Super Mario Bros. 3, reminding me of the good and bad times I had with that classic.  I’d already played some of these minigames in New Super Mario Bros., so they felt a bit dull, having been played by me so many times in the past but they're still mildly enjoyable, although there's also a large chunk of minigames that weren't featured in New Super Mario Bros., all of which are enjoyable. To be fair, this game was released before NSMB, but the former was the first Mario game I ever played. There's also a Vs. mode, where you and up to three DS owners can battle each other to obtain stars in a wireless free-for-all via Download Play. Although it brings back some of the flaws of the original, Super Mario 64 DS is superior to the original in pretty much every way. The gameplay, the music, although recycled from the original, hasn't aged a bit and is still amazing. The graphics have been most significantly improved. The character design, and object detail have all been vastly enhanced, although the vibrant, impressive, and smooth texture works now look blocky and ridged from some angles. This is a launch title of a decade-old system, and the visuals still rank among some of the best ever seen on the DS. This is a little sad, given that DS titles were already visually inferior to console games at the launch of the system. Another improvement that's very helpful is stage map displayed on the touchscreen. You can even move by sliding the stylus across the touchscreen. Many may argue that the original is better, but I wasn't raised in the olden days of gaming, and I'm not as used to the classics. Despite these very minor faults, SM64DS is a top-notch remake of a fondly remembered classic, a platforming masterpiece, and one of the best portable titles I've ever played.

Ups
Fun minigames
Vs. Mode
Improved visuals and sound
One of the best-looking games on DS
Touchscreen map

Downs
Not many issues fixed
Blocky, ridged textures

ESRB: E Content: Mild Cartoon Violence Price: $19.99 (Retail)

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Mighty Switch Force! Review

Mighty Switch Force!

Publisher: WayForward Developer: WayForward Platform: 3DS Players: 1 Release: 2011 Genre: Action / 2D Platformer Rating: 7.2 \ 10.0: Good 


Mighty Switch Force! is a combination of a platformer and a run-and-gun game. In it, you play as Patricia Wagon, a robotic law enforcer who must stop the evil Space Hooligans who have hid throughout the game's futuristic setting, Planet Land. The sprite-based 2D graphics are very impressive-- they, too, seem futuristic. The gameplay is nice and the action is solid, but this downloadable title does have its flaws. Being 21 stages long, the game is fairly short. The goal of each stage is to track down all 5 chained-up Hooligan Sisters, who are part of the Space Hooligans gang. The stages are full of environment-based puzzles, most involving blocks. Some of the blocks are solid, and others appear faintly in the background. The press of a button activates Patricia's Siren Helmet, causing the move the background blocks to move to the foreground, and vice versa. While this strategy is mostly used to solve puzzles, you can also use it to smash enemies into the screen.
The brain-bending puzzles sometimes frustrate me, making all deaths caused by blocks to feel undeserved, making it so there's nothing in the game that's less amusing than accidentally smashing yourself into the screen. I think that laser-gun-based firefights are far more enjoyable. I get into them a lot, and I have the most fun when I'm battling. Some puzzles really set me off, such as on Incident .06, where there are red and blue blocks with body heat-activated locks. When locked, these blocks can't be shifted. The nice stage design makes up for the somewhat high difficulty and frustrating puzzles.  In fact, the stage design lead to some high levels of entertainment in early stages, encouraging me to never stop trying. Mighty Switch Force! is a fun game, but I slightly overestimated it.

Ups
Impressive sprite-based visuals
Fun firefights
Neat premise

Downs
Very difficult

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Fantasy Violence and Suggestive Themes Price: $5.99 (Download)

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Rayman Origins Review

Rayman Origins

Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier Platform: Wii Players: 1-4 Release: 2011 Genre: 2D Platformer Rating: 9.4 / 10.0: Excellent

I have always somewhat thought of video games as a form of art, but this is the game that made that perfectly clear to me. The first thing you'll notice about Rayman Origins is how bizarre yet beautiful it is. The cover art implies that this isn't exactly the most normal game you'll ever, and the plot reinforces this— Rayman, the limbless star of the game and his pals are resting in the Glade of Dreams, and there loud snoring annoys the residents of the Land of the Livid Dead, thus starting a war. The excellently designed levels are chock-full of strange enemies and hazards. This is especially noticeable in the Desert of Didgeridoos, a music-themed world where you'll bounce on drums, ride a sentient flying flute, avoid waves on violin strings, and more. If you're a completionist, than I wish you luck in rescuing all 246 groups of captured Electoons, the impish inhabitants of the Glade. Electoons are required to unlock new characters which are found at the Snoring Tree, the home of the Bubble Dreamer, the being who dreams Rayman’s world into existence.

You gain a new ability the first level of worlds one through five freeing a Nymph, a magical resident of the Glade. You gain the ability to attack in the first world, the ability to hover in the second, the ability to fit through small passages by shrinking in the third, the ability to dive underwater in the fourth, and the ability to run up walls by sprinting in  the fifth. After completing the fifth world, you gain access to four more areas which are essentially harder versions of the lands you've already traverse. In addition to being a large surprise, this is perfectly fair, as by the time you've overcome the previous challenges, you'll be well prepared for what lies ahead. Because you've obtained every power, you'll also see some new obstacles in environments where you wouldn't have before. You must defeat a massive boss at the end of each one thus, freeing the world’s king. Beating the first four special boss levels, Poor Little Daisy, To Bubblize a Mockingbird, My Heartburn’s For You, and Murray of the Deep, gives you access to the tenth and final world, Moody Clouds. I’ve got to the final level, The Reveal, and I won’t spoil who the villain is. But that's still not the end of the game! The main thing I don’t like about Rayman Origins is that  the game is very difficult but has no way to save your progress mid-stage, which is why I recommend this to advanced gamers. When stuff gets tough, I commonly take a suicidal dive into a pit just so I can restart from the previous checkpoint with more a magic heart to shield me from an extra hit (you have unlimited lives). The short Treasure Chase levels in which you pursue a sentient, sentient, cyclopean treasure chest through a deadly gauntlet add to the challenge, but also to the fun. By completing these stages, you will obtain a red gem that is apparently a tooth of a strange elderly creature that resides in the Bubble Dreamer's tree house. Collect 'em all, and you'll get a surprise that will truly test your skills.

This game is an enjoyable romp solo, but you can bring up to three pals along for chaotic New Super Mario Bros. Wii-style co-op that lets your group slap each other silly with little consequence. I could never quite put my finger on what was just so appealing about this game when I first played it, but I've figured it out. As I mentioned earlier, this game is a visual marvel. Thanks to the powerful UbiArt engine, Origins sports beautiful hand-drawn graphics and even better animation. Everything's just so flowing and smooth— it's hard to explain, and this game would make an excellent cartoon. The music is one of the most important elements of the silly, cartoony vibe. It's a joy to hear the high-pitched acapella present in many tracks, but much of the music is legitimately catchy and enjoyable. When an orchestra is thrown in, it isn't simply generic stock-sounding tunes, it's epic and inspirational. Incredibly hard or not, Rayman Origins is simply fantastic! It's a platforming masterpiece, and one of the must creative and humorous titles I've ever played.

Ups
Fun multiplayer madness
Very creative and humorous
Chaotic co-op with literal slapstick humor
Gorgeous hand-drawn visuals and animation
Silly, catchy, and occasionally epic score
Tons of variety

Downs
Very difficult with no mid-stage saving

Also available on Xbox 360, Xbox One (via backwards compatibility), PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, 3DS, and PC.

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence, and Suggestive Themes Price: $39.99 (Retail)

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