Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - mamacitalew

Pages: [1] 2 3
1
She works closely with various indie developers helping them get on the Wii U/3DS eShop. She's also known to have a good, working relationship with the eShop Mastermind Dan Adelman.


Simply put, she knows people that would know about the Wii U update and Virtual Console.


Also, all the blatantly false rumors from two years ago were all her. She colossally messed up. As far as I know, she admitted to making stuff up and has since focused on not being so full of crap.


I wouldn't call her infallible now, but she's in a position where she would know things.

2
I will re-post some of the stuff from my post, but not the stuff that insano doesn't want posted (I don't know why, maybe because it makes it look bad to post her rumor). Iwata said it would come the day after the system update, he is more reliable than a random blogger whose history of rumors is spotty at best in terms of accuracy.


But regardless, the Virtual Console doesn't seem to be launching tomorrow, meaning that the update is, at the earliest, hitting tomorrow.

4
My point is that anything she says should be taken with a whole bag of salt (not just a grain).


Is she usually wrong? If so then why is NWR reporting on this?


Because she has proven lately that she knows things about the eShop and its inner workings. Regardless of whatever she did in the past, she's been reliable for, as far as I can see, at least around a year.


I do remember her terrible rumors from 2 years ago. But that was 2 years ago. Now she's way more reliable. Still a rumor, though, as it could still turn out to be wrong.

5
General Gaming / Re: How many games...?
« on: October 10, 2012, 03:45:57 PM »
Thanks everyone! I *might* have a pretty awesome follow up to this question in the coming months....

6
General Gaming / How many games...?
« on: October 08, 2012, 05:04:58 PM »
A real quick question: how many games do y'all have for each system?
I'm looking for a quick ballpark number, no need to count your games out here.  But I AM looking for a breakdown of NES, SNES, N64, SNES, and DVD-case games you have, plus any special ones you have like Famicom or Virtual Boy.  Also, this isn't Nintendo only!
Thanks so much everyone who helps :)

7
TalkBack / Catrap Rated for Virtual Console in Australia
« on: July 17, 2011, 09:00:43 PM »

Block puzzles and anthropomorphic cats might be hitting the eShop soon.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/27196

Catrap, a little-known Game Boy puzzle game made by Asmik, was rated by the Australian ratings board (the OFLC) recently. Since Asmik no longer deals with video games, Nintendo is set to publish the game on the 3DS Virtual Console.

The game, called Pitman in Japan, is based around side-scrolling block puzzles, and is one of the first games to feature a time-rewind feature. For more info, read our feature from before the 3DS came out begging for this game to come out on Virtual Console.

There is currently no word on Catrap's release outside of Australia, but if it does come out in Australia, it is likely it will come out in Europe and North America given the current content of the eShop releases in the different regions.


8
TalkBack / Re: Get Well Wishes for Zachary Miller
« on: May 23, 2011, 09:50:27 PM »
Here's to wishing you a speedy and full recovery!!! :D

9
Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Play Motion is coming!!
« on: April 16, 2011, 11:02:01 PM »
I probably shouldn't admit this, but even I don't usually visit the front page unless I'm posting something to it. I just read things via Talkback. I'm trying to break that habit, but I haven't been successful so far.


You're dead to me, new staffer.


But seriously, please visit the main page, guys. :)

10

With 13 games in total, the 3DS will launch with two games from Nintendo.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/25098

Nintendo announced the European 3DS launch line-up today, which includes 13 titles total, including Pilotwings Resort and Nintendogs + Cats from Nintendo.

Check below for the full list:

  • Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo)
  • Nintendogs + Cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends (Nintendo)
  • Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog & New Friends (Nintendo)
  • Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo)
  • Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (Capcom)
  • The Sims 3 (EA)
  • Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D (Konami)
  • LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (LucasArts)
  • Ridge Racer 3D (Namco Bandai)
  • Super Monkey Ball 3D (Sega)
  • Samurai Warriors: Chronicles (Tecmo Koei)
  • Asphalt 3D (Ubisoft)
  • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (Ubisoft)
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D (Ubisoft)
  • Rayman 3D (Ubisoft)

11
TalkBack / Re: The Lord Giveth, and UPS Taketh Away
« on: September 03, 2010, 07:17:40 PM »
maybe you're far more ethical than i am, but i would have sold those shoes in a hearbeat.
oh, and ps uggs are by far the most comfortable and, more importantly, warmest winter boots i have ever owned.  i bought a pair of pocahontas-meets-eskimo lace up uggs 3 years ago and they're still going strong, but since dsw is hawking them again at amazing discounts i cracked and bought a new pair with a dope ass colored zipper up the back.  i cannot wait for the cold.

12
The next installment in the Harvest Moon series makes it way to DS, featuring a new town and a new cast of characters.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=23030

 Natsume announced a new DS entry in the Harvest Moon series called Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar.    


The game will feature new characters and there is no confirmation about any old characters making a return.  This game takes place in Zephyr Town, which used to have a bustling bazaar but is now a ghost town.  Players will work toward reviving the bazaar back to its worldly grandeur and prosperity.      


Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar will be released in July and retail at $29.99    


NATSUME'S HARVEST MOON: GRAND BAZAAR TO OPEN THIS SUMMER FOR NINTENDO  DS    


Pre-order Now To Get A Limited Edition Harvest Moon Plush Horse!    


Burlingame, Calif., May 6, 2010 - Natsume, a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar will be released for the Nintendo DS™ this July.  The game will retail at an MSRP of $29.99 and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.    


"Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar is another great entry in the Harvest Moon series. It has a fun story and a great new cast of colorful characters," said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume. "It's loaded with exciting new features like the ability to run your own shop and a multiplayer mode in which you can invite other friends to your farm!"    


Zephyr Town's bazaar was once the grandest in the world, drawing customers and peddlers from all four corners of the Earth. These days, though, the bazaar has more tumbleweeds than customers. It's up to the player to turn its fortunes around! They'll raise animals, harvest crops, craft rare delicacies, and then sell their wares at their very own shop. If players can bring prosperity back to Zephyr town, its bazaar will thrive once again, packed with exotic wares that they can purchase to expand their farm!    


As a bonus, players who pre-order the game at GameStop will receive a limited edition plush horse. Quantities are limited, so hurry and place your order before they're gone!    


Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar will make its first public appearance at next month's E3 trade show.    


For more information on Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, please visit www.natsume.com. You can also follow all of the latest Natsume news at www.natsume.com/facebook and www.twitter.com/natsume_inc.


13
TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Sin and Punishment: Star Successor
« on: May 04, 2010, 12:32:37 PM »
Impressions of Treasure's starry sequel from a shooter neophyte.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=23021

 My history with more complex shooters begins and ends with Goldeneye, mainly because I missed the dual-stick first-person shooter revolution.  However, I have an intense fascination with shooting games that likely spawned in the same place it did for almost everyone: Duck Hunt.  The simple shooting and the fact that the controller wasn't suffocating with buttons were extreme benefits that were magnified by the fact that the controller was shaped like a gun.    


Nintendo definitely beckons memories of the NES Zapper with arcade-style shooters that require the Wii Remote to be pointed straight at the TV.  True, it doesn't look like the Zapper, even when placed in the Wii Zapper, and its mechanics are different, but there's a certain nostalgia that Nintendo uses to remind players that it's all good and nostalgic.  Sin and Punishment: Star Successor uses the Wii Remote attached to the Nunchuk in a similar fashion; The Wii Remote is used for aiming and shooting at enemies, while the joystick on the Nunchuk is used for moving your character around on screen.  The progression through the level is on-rails, so there's no need for another control mechanism to distract a player from the point of the game: shooting as many enemies as possible and racking up a large multiplier.  This style of game is most compared to, for me, House of the Dead: Overkill, where the game moves for you.  However, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor also allows the player to dictate where the character moves to on screen.    


While I didn't play as player one, I was able to watch the game being demonstrated and I have to say that it seemed to flow very organically and allowed the player time to take in what was happening on screen.  Then, (Contributing Editor Neal Ronaghan) and I played the game, he as player one and I as player two.  In this role, I was given just a Wii Remote – just the way I like it.  I simply supplied another line of fire into the game and was able to help Neal in keeping up his multiplier even when he was under heavy attack.  It's similar to the concept of co-op in Super Mario Galaxy, where the second player uses the Wii Remote to gather star bits, except instead of collecting bright colored stars, the player shoots enemies.    


Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is due out on June 27.


14
TalkBack / Picross 3D
« on: May 03, 2010, 02:30:40 PM »
Launch day thoughts on Picross 3D.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=23008

 It looks rather unassuming, as the cover features a square cube broken down into smaller segments, being broken away to reveal a giant pixel dog.  However, the game is packed to the punch with hundreds of addictive puzzles, as well as an element that I think will be discovered as a visual strain of crack in the coming months.    


Possible the most addicting aspect of Picross 3D is that you never know what you're making.  The levels aren't broken down into themes – the only hint you get is a themed, muted background which I honestly didn't notice for the first few hours because I was so focused on the game itself.  When you do clear the pieces and uncover the shape underneath, you usually don't know what it is until they color it in, label it, and give it a cute little animation.  But when they get to that point, it's so worth it and you often want to facepalm yourself in hindsight.      


Nintendo's Q1 Media Summit 2010:
   


Another part of the game that works for it is the stars.  Stars are awarded like this: one star for finishing within the yellow time, two stars for finishing within the green time, and an additional star if you finish with no mistakes.  The most you can get is three stars. This becomes important because at the end of each level are two unlockable levels that you need to earn stars to unlock.  The silver level is generally easy to unlock, but I found myself redoing levels to unlock the gold.  This habit has turned me into restarting puzzles completely with the first error I make.    


Finally, the most addictive part of this puzzle game is the fact that it makes you feel rather smart.  I am as of now embarking on my final week of classes in undergrad, and all I did this weekend was play Picross 3D because, well, it was kind of educational.  I wasn't running across the screen jumping from platform to platform, or shooting enemies while they're flying at me.  I was using logic, reason, math, and spatial understanding to create things that weren't there in the first place.    


Nintendo's Q1 Media Summit 2010:
   


I highly recommend Picross 3D to everyone.  It's a highly accessible "learning" game that doesn't know it's a learning game.  I also recommend that if you live with someone who also plays DS, just buy two copies because you'll spend your time fighting over playing or jealous that the other one got to it before you did (This really happened - Neal).    


Picross 3D is now in stores everywhere for $19.99, and it is totally awesome.


15
Oh sorry! I forgot to put that on here -- we're going out to dinner on Friday!

16
We've decided on an Italian restaurant nearby the convention center: http://www.pazzoboston.com/
If you are definitely going to come and were not involved in the e-mail thread (sorry!) please reply here by Tuesday the 9th by 8PM EST so I can make a res!

17
Will be e-mailing as many people as e-mails I have from those attending tomorrow (Thursday) evening to facilitate better discussion!

18
I can plan this whole thing so much better over e-mail because if someone gets left out it's their own fault, not just like "well I didn't check the forum on it" or something.  So! If I can get a round-up of everyone's e-mails then I can start sending out the info that way and we can have a conversation on that, and then post the final plans on here for everyone/anyone else to see so they can spontaneously join us!  Thanks! (:

19
NWR Social Night!

I'm looking into bars (I assume we're all of age) around the Convention Center, because regardless of where y'all are staying you're going to be around there.  I'm scoping it out on Yelp because I'm all about reviews.  Yelp also has a super feature on it that allows you to find bars that are good for groups and allows you to narrow down your price range.  I checked off $ and $$, and here's what I found:

The Pour House - bar/pub.  This is my number 1 choice for 2 reasons.  The first is that I love it's name, and the second is that it is literally across the street.  The also serve food, but do not take reservations, so I assume this place is going to be out of control at the end of the convention, which is why I even bothered to continue looking.  But I read a review that says Thursday nights are half-off Mexican food so I am totally in.  Oh, and I'll post a quote from another review: "cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap! and the beers are huge! and the nachos are huge!"  I really don't think anyone could possibly contest.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pour-house-boston

King's Bowling - bowling/dinner/bar/pool/VIDEO GAMES.  I originally clicked on this because my revelation with The Pour House made me realize I should check off "Accepts Reservations" as well.  So I weeded through a bunch to find King's, which caught my attention because it has video games. Uhhh hello!  But it's a bowling alley that is notorious for having 2 hour long waits on weekends.  So if this is it, I'm going to try to make reservations by like, Thursday afternoon, so I'm going to need a head count if we're doing bowling.  It is also INSANELY close to the Convention Center so it may even be reserved out by now.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kings-boston

Pazzo Ristorante - Italian/full bar/restaurant.  I wanted to have a more sit-down-restaurant place on here, too.  This is Italian and got some rave reviews; it also has a full bar (the important thing).  And it's super close to the convention center AND has only $$ so if we want to opt for a sit-down dinner, this would be it, IMO.  Again, this place takes res's so I'll call as soon as we have a good head count once we all decide.  If y'all are digging a restaurant vibe and are willing to shell out some more money we can do sushi/Asian or tapas.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pazzo-ristorante-and-bar-boston

(FYI: $$ means $11-$30 but there's like nothing in Back Bay for under $10.)

Also, I don't know where everyone's staying but we're going to be at Hilton Boston Back Bay, which is right next to the convention center.

Note: I have never been to Boston in my life, let alone Back Bay.  If someone has and knows some good places, please suggest some!  These are just ones I found after an hour or so on Yelp.

20
TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Rooms: The Main Building
« on: January 21, 2010, 11:33:39 AM »
Enter a world where an anthropomorphic book guides you through sliding puzzles.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=20810

 Last week, I had an opportunity to play some levels of Rooms: The Main Building for Wii, where you guide a character through interactive sliding puzzles. The game, which started life as a flash game, is also coming to DS in almost the exact same form.    


   


From what I noticed while playing, it is a great game for all ages of people because it's modeled after sliding puzzles.  Since children are most exposed to these puzzles, they are more familiar with them and therefore will find the game recognizable and tough.  On the other hand, adults will be drawn to the game, remembering sliding puzzles of their youth and challenging themselves to be better at them now, despite decades of not playing this type of game.    


The game does expand on the sliding puzzle theme by including a story that revolves around Mr. Book, who is literally a book and the butler of the mansion.  He guides the player along, giving advice and providing in-game tutorials, but he is also the antagonist, since he is trying to trick someone into becoming the next Mr. Book, which would transform him back into his previous human-form.    


   


Three mansions create the board for the game and house the 100 puzzling rooms. The pieces of the sliding puzzle can only be moved if the man is standing in them, and he must move around the pieces until he winds up at the level's exit.  The point-and-click controls use only the Wii Remote and are simple to use, allowing the player to focus on the game rather than complicated controls.      


   


There are some obstacles and aides along the way, including keys, ladders, telephones, and wardrobes.  Keys unlock doors that block rooms from each other, and ladders enable the man to travel vertically through the puzzle.  The telephones act as a transporter, moving the hero between two rooms that house phones.  The wardrobes switch rooms, so the man stays in the same place on the puzzle but has the other room with the wardrobe behind him.  There are more items as the game progresses as well, but I wasn't able to try those out.  These items were effectively used in the game because they were necessary to complete the level, but didn't automatically clarify the puzzle right after using them.    


The Wii and DS versions of the game are pretty much the same besides some presentation differences. The DS version makes use of the system's two screens, and also uses a stylus-based interface. Both versions have a level editor that allows players to make their own rooms. However, you can only share levels on the DS version. The Wii version also has a competitive two-player mode.    


Rooms: The Main Building is available on Wii and DS and will be released on March 23.    


See below for a trailer for the DS version:    



21
TalkBack / REVIEWS: Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop
« on: November 30, 2009, 10:55:14 AM »
Mama is back and better than ever in her third portable cooking outing.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=20441

 Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop is the latest DS entry in the great-selling Cooking Mama series. Originating on the DS in 2006, Mama has had four DS games, including this new entry, two Wii games, and an iPhone port. As of May 2009, the series has sold more than four million units in the U.S. The latest game in the series is quite possibly the best yet.    


It sports four different cooking modes, one shopping mode, and three decorating modes.  The first of the cooking modes is Cook with Mama, in which Mama gives you instructions before you perform each step.  These are generally along the lines of "Circle the apple's stem to remove it, then touch the chopsticks at the right time to push them in."  Once you complete a recipe, you unlock a new one; be aware that skipping one recipe (in my case, the dreaded pickles) prevents you from unlocking all of the ones that are locked.      


The second mode is Let's Cook!, where Mama introduces you to eight friends and family members who request that you make a dish of your choice, then grade you on how well you did.  Let's Match! is the third mode, in which you select two ingredients from a choice of six to create your own recipe.  However, lack of in-game instructions on this mode made it really perplexing for awhile, and I preferred Cook with Mama and Let's Cook!    


Cooking Contest is a mode that is great for working on certain steps you might have trouble with, such as cracking eggs or catching toast.  This is also available in Wi-Fi multiplayer.    


The controls for each step are generally good.  I found the hardest times to be when I had to move the stylus at the same speed as a whisk, and I'd get to a great momentum and then mess up so I would have to start slow again, limiting my chances for getting a Bonus Item.  It could have been that I was legitimately messing up, but I felt like I was doing really good and it happened every time I did a step like that.    


I faced similar problems in steps where I would have to add an ingredient to a bowl by dragging it and letting go above the bowl. Sometimes it would not register that I was, in fact, over the bowl, and would send my ingredient back to its starting place, once again restricting my chances of getting a Bonus Item.  I also found the step where I had to hang six skewers of fish from a string to be unfair. They needed to practically be on top of each other to fit on the screen. But every time one came close to another, it would send the one that was already hanging down to the ground.      


However, there were some steps that I absolutely loved the controls for. Generally, they were all of the ones that involved chopping vegetables, which requires you to drag the stylus along a line to slice vegetables, and tap repeatedly on the knife in order to chop them.  I also liked filling up pans and forms with batter to a certain line, although that was sometimes frustrating.  Also, the controls for kneading bread were, in my opinion, very unique, involving moving the stylus up and down on the lump of dough, tossing it in the air, and then tapping the screen at the right second to catch it.    


Another mode is Let's Shop, in which Mama sends you to the grocery store to pick up ingredients.  There are four levels and in each level, you buy a predetermined number of ingredients, which raises the difficulty.  You have to navigate around absurd and annoying people, ranging from crying babies to pushy samplers.  Some shoppers and all employees require a mini-game like sorting out bags of chips or catching falling fish.  These are funny diversions at first, but end up being really challenging towards the end.    


The aforementioned design modes are Let's Get Fancy! and Let's Decorate!  In Let's Get Fancy, you change up Mama's clothes and accessories with Bonus Items.  Each Bonus Item is awarded for completing the steps in Cook with Mama under certain stipulations, such as completing a step in under half the allotted time or without messing up.  The second decorating mode, simply titled Let's Decorate!, is where you choose which colors you want each of your appliances to be, and also the background styles for the kitchen.  Both of these modes have direct impact on how the game is viewed because they all carry over into every mode of the game.    


Write in Diary is where you can edit pictures you've taken of your completed dishes.  Some Bonus Items are placed here, such as the mustaches, the dog, and the Christmas tree.  Some of the items are stationary but most are animated; for instance, the car drives across screen.    


Cooking Mama 3 really extends the Cooking Mama series in a fantastic way, and this game is perfect for any fans of the series or for anyone who thinks they might be interested in what Mama has to serve up.

Pros:
       

  • A wide variety of modes
  •  
  • Fun diversions such as the decorating and shopping modes
  •  
  • New gameplay wrinkles are added up until the end


  •        Cons:
           
  • Some controls are tricky
  •  
  • Mama's voice is annoying


  •                Graphics:  8.0
           While Cooking Mama 3 does not harness all that the DS has to offer, everything is clear and crisp.

                   Sound:  6.0
           Mama says amusing phrases, which sound different than what she means, such as "It's prerfect! Frather's impressed!"  (in this instance, she really says Mother but I swear it sounds like Father) and "It's Ro-kay, Mama rill hrerp you!"  However, by the time you get to the third recipe you might be turning down the sound in order to tune out "Wow! Even better than Mama!"  Otherwise, all of the other sounds blend into the game well.

                   Control:  6.0
           On the whole, the controls are hit or miss. Some parts of the game control very well, while others are frustrating and annoying.

                          Gameplay:  9.0
           The game is quite fun, with a lot more variation than I had expected.  I felt like new tasks were constantly being introduced, even in the later recipes.

     


           Lastability:  7.0
           While you might not want to replay the game all the time, there are a lot of different modes to explore that all bring something unique to the table.  Cooking Mama 3 really keeps players interested in the game before they finish it, but once it's done there's not much to go back to.

     


           Final:  8.0
           There were a lot of pleasant surprises in Cooking Mama 3, and it's no wonder that the Cooking Mama series is so popular.  There are enough modes to keep you interested in the game, and there are so many steps in the recipes that new ones continually pop up.      


    22
    TalkBack / IMPRESSIONS: Tony Hawk: Ride
    « on: November 17, 2009, 10:10:17 AM »
    The skateboard controller is fun, but the morning after is a little rough.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=20338

     Tony Hawk: Ride really brings something new to the video game table.  The skateboard controller looks simple enough for a kid to get on and mess around, but it also packs a major technological punch.      


    Personally, I found the skateboard controller to be terrifying at first, but it soon became very natural.  Making the mistake of wearing big-ass boots to this event, my feet were larger and heavier than normal, as well as slightly elevated on a chunk of a wooden heel, and I almost fell off a number of times, and actually did once or twice. Regardless, I started to get into the swing of things, and wound up actually learning how to do tricks, a level that I never reached in my button-mashing days of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on Nintendo 64.      


    Aesthetically, the board has a gray top with a really nice wing design on it in a darker gray (get it, Tony Hawk?).  The bottom half of the board is white, something that separates it from the older prototype, which was black.  The control buttons run along the side of the board that your heels rest on, so if you ride Goofy you will need to flip the board around.  One of the hardest steps for me was tapping the side button with my toe (my gigantic, booted toe) and then ollieing to select Regular.  I wound up playing Goofy one round and actually did amazing, but a repeat at that attempt proved it was really just a false alarm.      


    On the middle of the sides there are sensors, which you wave your hand in front of to activate grabs.  For instance, doing an ollie and waving your hand in front will pull off a nose grab.  However, sometimes people around you can inadvertently interrupt the sensor, so be aware of where you're standing when your buddy is playing the game.    


    Finally, I want to talk about how the board actually feels on the ground: really comfortable.  After the initial fear that I was going to fall off or break the board or some other embarrassing and potentially dangerous stunt, I found that it was really smooth.  Anyone could easily rock heel to toe, Ollies and nollies were simple enough, and from watching people pull off 180s and other twists, it seems like something that would be relatively simple to get into after a few hours with a game.  Just ask Neal, he was pulling them off frequently.      


    To conclude, I'm going to leave you off with some words of obvious wisdom: stretch before you play.  I woke up this morning after two hours or so of gaming last night, and I could definitely feel it in my legs.  Tony Hawk: Ride is secretly a fitness game in disguise, but the type of fitness game that even when you find out, you don't care you were tricked because it's incredibly too much fun.  Plus, there's also no insults after you don't play the game for awhile *cough, Wii Fit, cough*.


    23
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming
    « on: September 27, 2009, 07:11:34 AM »
    Overgrown vegetable gardens harvest immense fun.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=20047

     Will the Harvest Moon islands ever get it right?  Each game begins with some debilitating disaster out to ruin the island and be the death of its loving inhabitants.  This time, the tower is radiating a foreboding light, signaling the Harvest Goddess's unhappiness with the island.  In the blink of an eye, the characters find themselves surrounded by an overwhelming abundance of crops that need to be harvested and brought to the tower.      


    One of the best things about this Harvest Moon-themed puzzle game is that the elf moves by himself, so you can focus on setting up combos and getting higher scores.  Just use the stylus to tap the elf waiting at the edge of the vegetable garden, and he'll seek out the closest harvestable plant to dig up then move on to the next one that's closest to him.  If he only has buds growing around him, he'll send out a distressing "Help!!"  Your appropriate response would be to use the stylus to slide a harvestable crop to him, and then he starts again.  Plants grow by being next or adjacent to the harvested crop.    


    Once the Harvest Goddess has her fill of crops, which takes less than an hour, the game is over.  At the end of Story Mode, another character is unlocked, giving you a choice of two more stories to follow. This continues until all twelve characters are unlocked. While the premise of the game is the same for each character, every story brings you deeper into the mystery of the glowing tower. Additionally, each character has a different special ability. For example, one character enlists a bunch of chickens to run across the screen and make certain crops grow faster.    


    There are also various play modes.  Aside from Story Mode, there is Score Attack, Mission, and Free Match.  In Score Attack, the objective is to get the highest possible score.  Each character has three objectives in Mission Mode, such as harvesting all of the eggplants in only two moves.  Free Match is a versus mode against the CPU, useful for honing in on your multiplayer skills to beat your friends in single-card multiplayer.    


    For a puzzle game departure from a slow-paced simulation series, Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming really does deliver.  It brings a unique puzzle game and pairs it with the charm and mystery of a Harvest Moon dilemma, creating a game that is part puzzle, part adventure.

    Pros:
           

  • Single-card multiplayer
  •  
  • Story mode told from 12 different perspectives
  •  
  • Plays itself for a while


  •        Cons:
           
  • Playing the same puzzle over and over


  •                Graphics:  7.0
           The top screen graphics are beautiful, but the bottom screen ones have room for improvement, especially when trying to tell if a cabbage is ready to harvest or not.

                   Sound:  9.0
           The music is what one would expect from a Harvest Moon game: calm, happy, and very Japanese.

                   Control:  8.0
           Either the buttons or the stylus can be used, but I found the button controls to lack precision.

                          Gameplay:  9.0
           The story is engaging, and though it may sound as if it will get repetitive in the 12 characters' story modes, it really manages to remain engaging.

     


           Lastability:  9.0
           The initial time in Story Mode appalled me, but when I found out that there were 11 other characters to go through, progressing through their own adventures within the story, I was hooked.

     


           Final:  9.0
           This is an excellent addition to Natsume's Harvest Moon line.  Its puzzle twist makes it unique, and it retains the characters, charm, and general storyline of a mainline Harvest Moon game.      


    24
    TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Where the Wild Things Are
    « on: August 19, 2009, 03:10:15 PM »
    Go beyond the movie (that goes beyond the book) this fall.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=19832

     WB Games is expanding the upcoming Where the Wild Things Are beyond the feature film on the Wii this fall with a video game developed by Griptonite Games.  Play as Max, the King of All Wild Things, as he tries to escape the doomed island with his titular newfound friends.  Solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and play mini-games in an adventure that that fits into a narrative storyline and follows Max and the Wild Things' escape.      


       


    Each Wild Thing that Max meets on his quest gives him a power-up that can be used later in the adventure.  There are also more than 400 collectibles to find that unlock various rewards.    


    Where the Wild Things Are is set to be released this fall with an E10+ rating. Griptonite is also developing the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions and the DS version is being handled by WayForward.    



    25
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Roogoo Attack
    « on: August 19, 2009, 03:52:36 AM »
    A budget-priced game with cute characters, falling blocks, and cheeseburgers.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=19829

     Roogoo Attack is a puzzle adventure game that follows the storyline of cute little animals named Roogoos.  The planet gets taken over, and all the Roogoo are transformed by their captors into evil Meemoos, who are driven by greed and greed alone.    


    The player helps Roogoo as he attacks the Meemoos by lining up falling shapes into corresponding holes on floating, round platforms.  For instance, a falling star must go into the star-shaped hole; if the star falls onto the triangle hole, it will bounce off, resulting in lost time and space filled up on the side meter.  If the meter fills up, the level has to be restarted.  The player lines up the shapes with the holes by shifting the platform in a circular manner using the L and R buttons.  The shapes range in number from three to five and include circles, stars, triangles, squares, and hearts.  A shape will usually rest on the hole until a few more are stacked on top of it or there are stacks of other shapes alongside it.  Usually, a few stacks of shapes will fall at the same time.    


    Sometimes the level will consist of objects other than shapes, such as roosters, treasure chests, snowmen, and even cheeseburgers.  This really works in the game, since after a few levels of falling boxes, they might be the last thing you want to see again. All of these sets come in groupings of two, three, and four.    The rooster falls in the order of: nest, egg, rooster.  However, the rooster is color-coordinated by a ring around the nest and the color of its head; so a green rooster needs to fall on a green nest, which must lie on a green hole.  If the player puts a green nest on a blue hole, the consequences are the same as dropping a star onto a triangle hole.  These levels appear once or twice per world and really break up the monotony of the falling shapes.    


    Another way that the monotony breaks is in the optional skydiving levels.  Each world has one, and they are all optional and fun.  Roogoo freefalls in a circular motion, collecting as many shapes as he can while avoiding Meemoos, who are seen flying up at him, floating in the air or gliding in a biplane.  You can shoot at the Meemoos, which frees up space. Early on, the Meemoos are incredibly easy to avoid, but as you go further in the game, it becomes quite challenging.   You lose the level once Roogoo hits five Meemoos, and then you can either try again or skip it.      


    The player guides Roogoo through a map that brings him through a variety of scenery such as lowland plains, an ocean, snow-capped peaks, and a fiery wasteland.  The difference among these worlds is mostly the background scenery, buttheyalso serve as introductions for the aforementioned cheeseburgers, treasure chests, snowmen, and roosters.      


    There are also obstacles that make the levels considerably more involved, if not more difficult.  Some platforms will have Meemoos sitting on holes, and they must be bumped off by speeding up the shapes by pressing A, which can be done at any point to move faster and get a better score.  In addition, the platoforms sometimes flip, and holes are occasionally covered with lids that open and close.  The trick is to time it, otherwise shapes will go flying and the meter will fill up.  There are also platforms that have flowers growing on them, attracting butterflies that enjoy picking up the stacks and bringing them up a few levels higher to impede your progress.      


    In addition to the single-player mode, there are both single and multi-card multiplayer modes to play against up to three friends.  All of the levels and worlds are playable in both modes, with different rule sets being the only advantage to the multi-card play.  There are also a handful of levels that you can unlock by connecting to Roogoo Twisted Towers for Wii.    


    While Roogoo Attack doesn't seem to be much more than a children's game, there is a lot to like.  The storyline is adorable and fun, and the game does a great job of breaking up the monotony with different ideas. It might be a bit simplistic, but it's still a solid game with a lot to do.

    Pros:
           

  • Single-card multiplayer
  •  
  • Addictive Fun


  •        Cons:
           
  • Slightly repetitive


  •                Graphics:  7.0
           The graphics exhibit little depth of field, which leaves one wondering why they aren't smoother.  Storyline graphics are, however, smooth and clean.

                   Sound:  8.0
           Playful songs fit the mood of the game.

                   Control:  9.0
           The controls are simple to learn but challenging to master.  The optional skydiving levels are sometimes tricky to control, but they're optional, so it doesn't hurt the game much.

                          Gameplay:  9.0
           At its base, Roogoo is a fun game to play despite its simple nature. You might just be dropping shapes into holes, but there's enough variety that it never gets stale.

     


           Lastability:  8.0
           While the beginning levels are a little trite, I do enjoy replaying later, tougher levels, especially the ones with the cheeseburgers.  If you have DS-owning friends, the multiplayer can also lengthen the game's life.

     


           Final:  9.0
           Roogoo Attack has a lot going for it, and not much going against it. It's a budget-priced title with fun gameplay and a lot to do. It's a very complete package.      


    Pages: [1] 2 3