If paint by number gets you so excited you can't even see straight, have patience -- your day in the sun is coming, courtesy of the DS. A Jeux France blogger got their hands on an import copy of Picross DS and had nothing but love for the game, particularly when it came to the online mode. Might be worth importing, for those of you who hate waiting for localizations that may never come.
We're puzzle junkies. Yes, we love the genre and are always keeping our eyes out for new and interesting puzzle games. Tetris, Puzzle Fighter and Lumines are some of our most favorite games of all time. That's how even with the Disney theme stamped all over this title, we're still interested in Meteos: Disney Magic. Sure, we kept a realistic head about us and kept thinking of how it wouldn't be better than its predecessor. But then they changed how the game would be played and we became interested again. Then we forgot about it for a bit, but Mizuguchi's interview came and our interest was renewed yet again.
Now, the game has released and although many of the reviewing outlets haven't made their determination on the game's worth, we wanted to start this topic in the hopes that anyone who has gotten their hands on the game would speak up and let us know how it compares to the original. So, without further delay:
IGN (80/100) says the game improves on the original: "Meteos: Disney Magic does a really good job moving the design forward. Now let's bring back the alien worlds and take this sucker online."
Nintendo Power (75/100) sees the experience as being improved also: "Meteos: Disney Magic does more than provide a Mouseketeer-friendly facelift to one of the DS's best puzzle games; thanks to the ability to move blocks horizontally, the sequel has a thoroughly different dynamic than the original block launcher." [Apr 2007, p.85]
If, in your secret heart of hearts, you really enjoy being kicked in the face, then we can heartily recommend Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja. It will satisfy your special needs in a way that is beyond compare.
However, if you're like the rest of us and don't have a genetic need to sweat and swear your way through games, we'll tell you to approach this one with caution. Izuna has a lot going for it, but prepare yourself for an unforgiving gaming experience.
With news that Trioncube has gone gold, the press have started to receive their copies of the title and weigh in on its value. So far, from what is being said by these critics, the game doesn't offer much to distinguish itself from the bunch and falls in line as a generic puzzler. This saddens us, as not only are we puzzle junkies, but we're ... well, that's it, really. We're just puzzle junkies.
So, what did the press say?
NTSC-UK (70/100) says the game is a melting pot of great features: "Trioncube's mesmerisingly spartan yet compulsive gameplay, married to the charming presentation, indelible soundtrack and reward trail, often confect to make this feel like a honeyed breath of fresh air." [JPN Import]
Nintendo Power (55/100) does not find the game to be unique at all: "The alternate name for falling-piece puzzler Trioncube could be My First Tetris." [Mar. 2007, p.89]
Edge Magazine (50/100) finds the game lacking the essential cruelty that comes with puzzle games: "Without the challenge and cruelty that can make a classic, the results here are likeable, confident, and nowhere near essential." [Mar 2007, p.86]
GamePro (50/100) thinks the game doesn't bring much to the table: "Trioncube doesn't offer much for a puzzle game. There's little depth or difficulty to be found, and while the odd story is surprisingly entertaining, it isn't enough to keep you playing for long."
Now we feel justified for all those times we were jumping up and down over new details on Professor Layton and the Mysterious Town (that may be a Village). Chris Kohler had nothing but love for this import over at Game|Life; he's praised everything from the animation to the story to the game's logic puzzles. We're expecting his homage to the box art any moment now.
If you want a sense of the level of challenge in Professor Layton, Kohler's put up the text of a few of the logic puzzlers that pepper the game, as well as one of the trailers. We've added it here as well, just in case you missed it the first time around. Check it out after the jump, and we're sure you'll join us in keeping our fingers crossed for an English translation.
Turns out, the magnetic stand we covered wasn't the only hands-free option to the Japanese consumer as CAG's CheapyD chronicles in his video review of the stand offered up by Hori. CheapyD does his duty, and does it well, as he goes over every inch of the thing and finds it to be useful in his gaming.
Coming in at around $15 USD, would you pick this up?
We've approached Lunar Knights with enthusiastic abandon because, from the beginning, it's looked good enough to warrant screaming fanboyism. Everything looked good. Everything looked right. But there's always a chance that the best-looking games can turn out to be not at all what's expected, so we awaited reviews of Lunar Knights with bated breath. From the looks of things, however, there's nothing to worry about.
1UP -- 90%: "Lunar Knights ... is refined and improved over that of the GBA games. Elements that didn't work, such as the solar sensor, have been abandoned; the annoying coffin-dragging sections have been traded for fast-paced space shooter sequences. Meanwhile, character-building features have been expanded; the graphics have been improved, with full-motion anime clips sprinkled throughout the entirety of the quest; the music is superb."
GameBrink -- 88%: "... a fun little ARPG presented in pretty much the same fashion as the previous GBA games but, with the introduction of the new weather and team system, the game has added depth to it. Excluding the side quests, the main scenario should give you several hours of fun!"
Keep an eye out; we'll update later in the week as more reviews come in.
No doubt, Diddy Kong Racing has been in the spotlight for the last couple of months, due to some excellent features and the promise of repeating the success the game enjoyed on the N64. With custom-track creation and countless other wonderful features, we've waited long and patiently for this game and hopefully the majority of reviewers out there won't find the game as lacking as the below two have:
Nintendo Power (75/100) finds that the game has some appeal, however maybe not as much as it needs: "Like its predecessor, Diddy Kong Racing DS has a Mario Kart game to compete with, but also enough unique features to make it a kart-racing contender." [Mar. 2007, p.87]
GameSpot (67/100) says that the game might just have too much to do: "Diddy Kong Racing DS is a decent racer with plenty to do and some interesting new content, but the seemingly endless amount of tasks you must complete to enjoy all of it may irritate anyone who simply wants to race."
IGN (71/100) tells us that the online rocks, but isn't enough to carry the game: "Diddy Kong Racing's a good product with some first-generation blues dragging it down. The fantastic online and customization focus offset some of the clunky items that made it into the design...but don't think we're going to turn a blind eye to the stupid stuff."
While Phoenix Wright may never fail to rev our collective fanboy motors, when it comes to adventure games, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 has been garnering more and more excitement -- and even the reviewers who find fault with the title can't help but gush over the story.
GameSpot -- 82%: "One of the really neat things about Hotel Dusk is how the plot plays out. It's not often that you can praise fiction in games these days, but Hotel Dusk is a clever, stylish, well-spun detective novel hiding inside a DS cart ... It helps that the solutions for puzzles aren't often troublesome. All the puzzles are designed specifically with the realities of this hotel in mind, so you won't find yourself with any obscenely weird objectives or "tie the cell phone to the cat" moments, nor are you likely to find yourself glued to a walk-through for the bulk of the game ... [t]hat Hotel Dusk mostly manages to avoid falling back on ridiculous item hunts and completely illogical puzzle solutions to progress is a godsend, simply because it lets the storytelling drive the game, and the gameplay rarely distracts you from the mystery."
eToychest -- 90%: "Stylistically, Hotel Dusk marries pencil sketched characters and water colored backdrops with traditional polygonal environments in a manner that should be jarring, but instead feels both unique and altogether perfect. The characters themselves are distinct and very expressive, each displaying mannerisms reflecting their attitude regarding a particular line of questioning. Ask Louie about his past, and he'll clam up and try not to make eye contact, or sweet talk Iris to see her beam like a schoolgirl. Most every game has characters, Hotel Dusk has personalities."
GamePro --75%: "Hotel Dusk probably won't appeal to every DS gamer, as it requires a degree of patience and thoughtfulness that only the aged (and insane) are capable of. But anyone looking for a cerebral and deliberate challenge should definitely check out this cool and unique title; just be patient with it, and don't let its minor faults discourage you from plumbing its depths."
Now that we've seen what the magazines have to say, it's high time we checked in with the various sites of the world wide webtron. With mostly favorable reviews of the title (natch), we're glad we do not have to enter the tubes ourselves and personally kill any online entities responsible for bad-mouthing our favorite Ace Attorney.
At the time of this post, we don't have all of the online reviews yet (1UP and IGN), but once they've posted them, we'll come back and update this post.
Gamespot (77/100) says it's more of the same and doesn't innovate: "Justice for All is a good, lengthy adventure with great character-driven storylines, but it fails to build upon the promising groundwork laid by the first game."
Games Radar (80/100) is quick to call it a great follow-up to the previous game: "The charm and clever logic puzzles are still here, and the cases deliver the same charge-back-from-the-edge-of-defeat rush that made the first game so cool. Whether you're a fan of the original or a newcomer to Wright's bizarre legal world, you won't be disappointed."
While we haven't seen it, word is that the upcoming issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has some very interesting scores (and reviews) for a pair of upcoming DS titles. The March issue takes a look at both Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (it's long title month around here), and offers a lackluster-to-good range of scores for one, and great scores to the other ... and it's not the way that you may think.
Word on the street forums is that the scores for the two games in the issue are as follows:
Justice for All: 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 Hotel Dusk: 8.0, 8.0, 10 (yeah, that's a ten)
Now, it's true that this edition of Phoenix Wright is not judged to be the best by those who've played deeper into the series, and those are decent and respectable scores (which mean nothing, since we're all playing it anyway, and probably twice). But the scores for Hotel Dusk are surprising, and something of a relief as well. Whether or not you're a fan of EGM, it's nice to see such enthusiastic review scores. As a point of comparison, Trace Memory (often invoked when mentioning Hotel Dusk) scored much lower with EGM -- that game posted an average score of 6.17.
It may still be a good week plus away, but many of the magazine reviews for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All are finally beginning to surface and, given our incredible love of all things involving Phoenix, we thought it appropriate to do something a bit different for a metareview on the game.
See, we're going to count up what the magazines have to say first and as the game gets closer to release and websites begin to chime in (we realize a lot have reviewed the Japanese import, but that doesn't count), we'll go ahead and do another metareview for those.
Game Informer - 80%: "What it lacks in advance graphics and interface, JFA more than makes up for in charm and intrigue." [Jan 2007, p.115]
GamePro - 80%: "Still, Justice For All demonstrates enough of the plucky spirit that made the first game so memorable." [Feb. 2007, p.82]
Nintendo Power - 90%: "The verdict is in: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All is another superb graphic-text adventure from the folks at Capcom." [Feb. 2007, p.96]
The folks at GameBrink got their hands on a copy of Kabushiki Baibai Torenakabutore, a stock trader sim, but not the one we mentioned before. And the verdict is? Solid offering from Hideo Kojima (is there any other kind?), but not exactly import friendly unless you read Japanese.
What's interesting about this game is that it relies on five years of real data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, so the trends are realistic. They're not playing when they call this one a sim, are they? Further, all your favorite gaming companies are represented, like Nintendo and Konami. The lessons are real as well; a complete trading newb can apparently pick this up, play the game, and walk away knowing some real information about how the market works. Should a sim be so realistic? Maybe not always, but stock trading is apparently pretty addicting, so here it seems to work well.
Since there are multiple companies busily forging stock trader games, perhaps we'll see a release outside Japan for one of these ... and now we're hoping for this one, since we've gotten a look at it!
Pokemon: Diamond/Pearl is, beyond doubt, the most anticipated release in the American market for the wonderous and fancy DS. Despite runaway sales in Japan and critical success, however, Nintendo has remained extremely tight-lipped about its eventual release date, with nothing more than a "TBA 2007" showing up in their catalogs.
The latest Nintendo Power, however, seems to have mention of a Spring release; those trusty soldiers at NeoGAF seem to have their heads on straight. Furthermore, Nintendo's official Pokemon website is now claiming an April 22nd release date, and despite Nintendo's penchant for delaying games till all nine eight planets align, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. We won't lie ... we want this game, stigma be damned. The Pokemon franchise, if nothing else, has repeatedly demonstrated engrossing gameplay and attention to detail, and the new Wi-Fi trading system just makes it all the sweeter.
Wanna know what else? Nintendo Power gave the upcoming Phoenix Wright: Justice for All a 9 out of 10. Awesome. If David didn't mention that you have to love Phoenix Wright to come work here, then consider this an amendment of epic proportions.
[via GoNintendo]
[Update 1: Trusty commenters. More information from Pokemon.com added, and fixed a typo.]
Those lucky buggers at GameSpot got their hands on Trioncube, the weird and wacky puzzler headed out next year from Namco-Bandai, and they've got one thing to say -- sure, you may be stacking blocks in Trioncube, but the game takes it beyond regular old blocks. It's quirky. But didn't we know that from the screenshots? Flying cow heads don't exactly scream tame.
Unfortunately, they haven't got much to add to what we already knew. Their additions? Whimsical audio, sparse visuals (sparse cow heads?), and it's addictive. Well, Trioncube is a puzzler. If it's in any way playable, it's probably addictive.
And yet, even this slimmest of slim previews makes us yearn for the game. We need a good puzzler. Is it February yet?
We're puzzle junkies. Yes, we love the genre and are always keeping our eyes out for new and interesting puzzle games. Tetris, Puzzle Fighter and Lumines are some of our most favorite games of all time. That's how even with the Disney theme stamped all over this title, we're still interested in Meteos: Disney Magic. Sure, we kept a realistic head about us and kept thinking of how it wouldn't be better than its predecessor. But then they changed how the game would be played and we became interested again. Then we forgot about it for a bit, but Mizuguchi's interview came and our interest was renewed yet again.
If, in your secret heart of hearts, you really enjoy being kicked in the face, then we can heartily recommend Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja. It will satisfy your special needs in a way that is beyond compare.
With news that Trioncube has gone gold, the press have started to receive their copies of the title and weigh in on its value. So far, from what is being said by these critics, the game doesn't offer much to distinguish itself from the bunch and falls in line as a generic puzzler. This saddens us, as not only are we puzzle junkies, but we're ... well, that's it, really. We're just puzzle junkies.
Now we feel justified for all those times we were jumping up and down over new details on Professor Layton and the Mysterious Town (that may be a Village). Chris Kohler had nothing but love for this import over at Game|Life; he's praised everything from the animation to the story to the game's logic puzzles. We're expecting his homage to the box art any moment now.
We've approached Lunar Knights with enthusiastic abandon because, from the beginning, it's looked good enough to warrant screaming fanboyism. Everything looked good. Everything looked right. But there's always a chance that the best-looking games can turn out to be not at all what's expected, so we awaited reviews of Lunar Knights with bated breath. From the looks of things, however, there's nothing to worry about.
Now that we've seen what the magazines have to say, it's high time we checked in with the various sites of the world wide webtron. With mostly favorable reviews of the title (natch), we're glad we do not have to enter the tubes ourselves and personally kill any online entities responsible for bad-mouthing our favorite Ace Attorney.
While we haven't seen it, word is that the upcoming issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has some very interesting scores (and reviews) for a pair of upcoming DS titles. The March issue takes a look at both Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (it's long title month around here), and offers a lackluster-to-good range of scores for one, and great scores to the other ... and it's not the way that you may think.
It may still be a good week plus away, but many of the magazine reviews for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All are finally beginning to surface and, given our incredible love of all things involving Phoenix, we thought it appropriate to do something a bit different for a metareview on the game.
The folks at GameBrink got their hands on a copy of Kabushiki Baibai Torenakabutore, a stock trader sim, but not the one we mentioned before. And the verdict is? Solid offering from Hideo Kojima (is there any other kind?), but not exactly import friendly unless you read Japanese.
Those lucky buggers at GameSpot got their hands on Trioncube, the weird and wacky puzzler headed out next year from Namco-Bandai, and they've got one thing to say -- sure, you may be stacking blocks in Trioncube, but the game takes it beyond regular old blocks. It's quirky. But didn't we know that from the screenshots? Flying cow heads don't exactly scream tame.
