Review: Nostalgia (Nintendo DS)

Posted on October 27, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Matrix Software

Publisher: Ignition

# of Players: 1

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

An excellent game for entry level players or seasoned JRPG veterans who can recall the “good old days” with a wistful smile, Nostalgia is one of the best games in the genre this year. The Matrix Software developed Tecmo/RED co-produced project, some ten years in the making, just feels right from the moment you start playing and it only gets better as the hours zoom by. What makes the game so outstanding are the combination of well-worn genre elements spiced up by a rewarding skills-based battle system and a huge game world absolutely packed with stuff to do and secrets to uncover. The game rarely misses a note throughout and despite a few minor flaws can easily stand up to some of today’s console JRPGs in terms of bang for the buck.

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Review: The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Posted on October 24, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Media Vision

Publisher: Xseed Games

# of Players: 1

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A

Thanks to the very wise folks at Xseed, Media Vision’s RIZ-ZOAWD has finally come to the US retitled The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road and it’s one truly gorgeous JRPG both genre and Oz fans will love. The game balances classic turn-based combat with a great, innovative stylus centered control scheme that’s sure to be copied in the future by other developers. Nearly everything about the game is grand and feels just right. What’s here is basic enough for entry level players, yet the level of challenge in some spots can make the game tricky enough for RPG veterans to appreciate. This revision of the classic Oz tale doesn’t overstay its welcome either, as the adventure clocks in at a decent enough length and has a nicely done ending that resonates long after you’ve watched the end credits.

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Diner Dash: Flo On The Go & Wedding Dash Hands-On

Posted on October 16, 2009 by geelw

If you’re a fan of “casual” PC games these days, there’s pretty much little to know doubt you’ve downloaded and played one of PlayFirst’s hugely popular titles. Thanks to a loyal (and expanding) user base that’s downloaded its games hundreds of millions of times, the PlayFirst web site is one of those games havens that’s doing quite well in this otherwise bumpy economy. With a huge library of all-ages games that range from fast-paced arcade action, “hidden object”, strategy, puzzle, role playing and adventure games, there’s pretty much something for everyone. Family-friendly games publisher Zoo Games, which has released titles for the Wii, Nintendo DS/DSi, PlayStation 2, PSP, iPhone, and PC has licensed two of PlayFirst’s key titles for the Nintendo DS just in time for the holiday season – here’s a rundown on what to expect.

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Astro Boy: The Video Game Wallpapers

Posted on October 14, 2009 by geelw

Here you go: SIX nice images for your PC using game and movie assets – thanks, D3! These images should fit 1280 x1024 monitors. The game ships on October 20th for the PS2, DS/DSi and Wii. As huge Osamu Tezuka (and of course, Astro Boy) fans, I’m hoping to nab a few reviewables so we can see how it’s turned out.

In Astro Boy: The Video Game, players become the iconic hero, Astro Boy, and take to the streets and skies on an epic adventure to save Metro City from the clutches of the evil President Stone and his robot army. Utilizing Astro’s entire arsenal of iconic weapons and abilities, players will battle hordes of fearsome foes including some never-before-seen enemies across Metro City and the mysterious Surface.

Gallery: Nostalgia

Posted on October 10, 2009 by geelw

2009 is turning into a really super year for Nintendo DS RPGs and here’s yet another one to absolutely go and pre-order if you’re into the genre. Ignition Entertainment’s upcoming Tecmo/Red/Matrix co-production, Nostalgia is only a short few weeks away from its October 27 release date, so here’s a look at the latest game trailer plus a nice selection of screenshots to pore over – enjoy!

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Where the Wild Things Are Website Live – Trailer Revealed

Posted on October 5, 2009 by geelw

WBIE has launched the official web site for Where the Wild Things Are: The Video Game and here you go – the first game trailer:

On the web site, you can check out screenshots from the console and Nintendo DS versions and find out about the film as well as its soundtrack. If you’re lucky enough to be a US resident, you can even enter a contest to win one of six cool Where the Wild Things Are prize packages, one of which will include a brand spankin’ new Xbox 360. So you know what to do, right?

Where the Wild Things Are; The Video Game arrives in stores on October 13, 2009.

Gallery: Dawn of Heroes

Posted on September 30, 2009 by geelw

I thought this one sounded familiar… Montreal-based developer Wicked Studios’ DS exclusive Tactical RPG was initially announced for a June 2009 release, so I thought I missed out on it entirely. However, It turns out Majesco is actually publishing it on December 1, 2009, so here you go: the first game trailer and a nice batch of screenshots – enjoy!

I’m really liking the character customization aspects as well as the nice character art, which looks a little inspired a bit by the great Susumu Matsushita’s work. Hmmm… I feel another developer interview coming on. It looks as if I’m off to bug some PR folks…

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Review: Bleach: The 3rd Phantom

Posted on September 28, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Tom Create

Publisher: SEGA

# of Players: 1 (Wi-Fi: 1-2)

Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B

I may not know much about the Bleach anime, but I have enjoyed the different US localized games from Sega I’ve played over the last few years. Being a huge Strategy/RPG fan, I was surprised to find that the series has ventured into that well-traveled territory with a fun to play, albeit pretty basic turn-based game experience. Bleach: The 3rd Phantom mysteriously showed up via Fed Ex with another bunch of games, so out went Dirt 2 and in went this new game for a good chunk of review time. While what’s here won’t topple the giants of the genre, there’s more than enough solid hours of gameplay, over 50 potential party members and even a bit of Wi-Fi action if you’ve a friend who happens to have a DS and a copy of the game.

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Review: DIRT 2 (DS)

Posted on September 26, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Firebrand Games

Publisher: Codemasters

# of Players: 1 (Wi-Fi: 2 – 4)

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: B+

While the portable versions of DIRT 2 couldn’t be more different from each other in terms of content and overall level of difficulty, the Nintendo DS version of the game actually outstrips the more powerful PSP by miles in terms of bang for the buck. Both games are solid, thrilling arcade racing experiences with the PSP definitely beating the DS code in terms of challenge and overall learning curve. On the other hand, the ability to create your own tracks, customize and upgrade cars gives DS owners endless variety long after they’ve completed the main game. Firebrand Studios has put together one of the best DS racers to date that comes highly recommended whether or not you’re a rally fan.

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Review: Scribblenauts

Posted on September 18, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: 5th Cell

Publisher: WBIE

# of Players: 1 (Wi-Fi: 1 – 2)

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: A-

The first two things you’ll need to realize about Scribblenauts are as follows:

1) it’s not a platformer at all
2) Trying to play it as such will make for quite a bit of frustration

The game is actually a fantastic hybrid puzzle/brain salad sandbox experience that lets you dive in to test your word power in a lot more interactive manner than traditional pen and paper word games. There are a load of puzzle as well as action based challenges that require a bit of thought if you want to see all the game has to offer. If you’re like me (that is, ancient enough to actually remember those classic Infocom or other text-based PC adventure games), what’s here is a bit like those oldies. However, you get to see what you input as text materialize on screen and you can interact with your choices in a number of amusing ways. Of course, you can simply sit back and let what you’re called forth do whatever it wants to do, which in my opinion, is the beauty of Scribblenauts’ design.

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