Minecraft Review

Minecraft

Publisher: Mojang Developer: Mojang Platform: PC Players: 1-100 (LAN / Online) Release: 2011 Genre:  Sandbox / Adventure Rating: 9.7 \ 10.0: Masterful

Above is gameplay from Survival mode

I've played the Pocket Edition. I've played the Xbox 360 Edition. But of all the versions of Minecraft, I think that the best, although there are some who don't agree, is the computer version. As I mentioned in my Minecraft: Pocket Edition review, Minecraft is a popular 3D sandbox game with retro-style graphics in which you 'mine' various blocks and use them to create whatever you desire. This edition features more content than any other version of Minecraft, being the first version. But Minecraft is more than it sounds-- far more. It's become a cultural phenomenon! It's about exploring lush valleys, dry desserts, snow-capped forests, dense jungles, and dank, dark caves, all in a world where the only limit is your imagination, in a game with no goal but the one you set for yourself. Minecraft can be difficult, but it has something for every player. In Survival mode, you must gather resources and build a shelter, then craft tools and armor to mine ores and slay to hordes of monsters that come out at night. And if you feel as if you're a pro, you can play Hardcore mode, in which the difficulty is locked on Hard, and as soon as you die, the world is deleted. In Creative mode, you're given an unlimited supply of every block and item, invincibility (although you can die by digging past the bottom layer of bedrock in the world and falling out), and the abilities to fly and break blocks instantly to build whatever you want. And in case you still want to collect items, you can access a Survival-style inventory (with no crafting interface) to store loot. But once you Survival inventory is full, you can still collect items without storing them-- not so good for collecting strategists. The procedurally generated worlds modes create suspenseful scenarios that make your heart race when playing Survival. Hearing the moaning and growling of zombies or the clicking of skeleton's bones in a cave is frightening no matter how prepared you are, even more so if you discover a spawner. My most memorable situation is when I was double-checking a cave I had discovered for minerals. I hadn't made the cavern bright enough to prevent monsters from spawning, and a Creeper had came our from around the corner. I should have brought along my strong, durable iron armor in case of this, but I foolishly decided to wear out my weak leather gear. I was unable to kill the Creeper, and it exploded. I was fine, but the explosion destroyed a stone cube that held a silverfish egg, and I was assaulted by a swarm of the pesky pests. My iron sword was able to kill them in several hits, but not before they tore through 75% of my health. When only one silverfish remained, I accidentally pressed F5 and changed my perspective, but was still able to slay the monster that was obscured by my body in third-person. It's moments like this that make Minecraft stand out above action games littered with setpiece moments. There are also other dimensions to explore: the Nether, a underworld-like cavern full of fire, lava lakes, and evil beasts; and the End, where you face the mighty Ender Dragon and armies of tall, slender Endermen. Slaying the dragon is completely optional, but those that wish to "beat" Minecraft can undertake this difficult quest. There are even adjustable world settings-- you can have a standard world, a Super Flat world, a Large Biomes world, or an Amplified world (for "beefy" computers only). Another great feature is the game's quirky sense of humor. There may be no storyline to show it, but the game has a quirky sense of humor. For example, the title screen displays one of countless messages that always make me chuckle. "Fat free"? "Colormatic" (in rainbow lettering)? "Totally forgot about Dre"? "Kind of dragon free?" (The latter references the totally real Ender Dragon) Additionally, the calming blend of piano and techno music by indie artist C418 is great and suits the game perfectly-- except when battling demonic monstrosities in the MC equivalent of the underworld, in which case the serene sounds are hilariously ironic. One of the best things about this game is how much user-generated content is available to you if you wish to alter your experience. Don't like the plain old Steve look? Get a new skin made by a player, or create your own! Tired of standard Minecraft? Download or create a mod or a server (or a modified server)! Don't even like how the game looks?! Get a texture pack! Want a world just for you and your friends? Host a private LAN game! The greatest part of Minecraft is that it's constantly expanding! Every once in a while, the game will be updated. This isn't like some MMO expansion pack-- updating Minecraft is 100% free! The only problem with Minecraft is that there's more the game could have, and that's really saying something given that there's been an more than acceptable amount of content even since I began playing at Version 1.4.5. But hey, players hoped for ages that the game would eventually add horses, because it is fun to ride a pig, but not very productive. Version 1.6.0 added not only horses, but donkeys as well! Minecraft is one of the greatest, but not best, things that has ever happened in the world of gaming, and at just $26.95, I highly suggest you download it for yourself!

Ups
Tons of freedom
Endless possibilities
Modes for every player
Charming retro graphics
Quirky sense of humor
Great, calming soundtrack

Downs
Some items are desired but not present

Also available on mobile devices, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita.

ESRB: E 10+ Content: Fantasy Violence Price: $26.95 (Download)

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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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