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• Games You Can Never Go Back To: Animal Crossing

  As a member of the nerd illuminati (also known as the gaming press), it's my job to get people hooked on video games, if only to make myself look less nerdy in comparison. Friends, family members, loved ones; all have been infected by a love of gaming--with me being the main carrier of this virus. So, when my girlfriend expressed a desire to get back into gaming with the purchase of a DS, I was as helpful and overbearing as anyone in my position could be. And when it came to getting a game to go with this system, there was only one answer: Animal Crossing. While I prefer the GameCube version out of all the others (you can't beat free NES games), someone who's never played Animal Crossing has absolutely no idea what they're getting into; I was the same way back in the Fall of 2002, when this cutesy little underhyped Nintendo game charmed and surprised the pants off of me. But, as I watch my girlfriend become delighted by the antics involved with being enslaved by a shop-owning raccoon, I'm brought back to that old saying: you can't go home again. Read More... Posted Mar 26 2009, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, animal crossing, ds, bob mackey, casual gamers

• Watcha' Playing: Fire Emblem – Shadow Dragon

  For the longest time I was suffering a gaming dry spell. It's not that I had nothing to play, heck, I still have a backlog, I just wasn't in the mood. I got over it. Now I'm playing multiple games at once, something I almost never do, and one of those games is the DS remake of of the first Fire Emblem game. Read More... Posted Mar 25 2009, 11:00 PM by Amber Ahlborn with | with no comments Filed under: amber ahlborn, ds, watcha playing, fire emblem shadow dragon

• Watcha Playing: AWAY: Shuffle Dungeon

  The DS has been my platform of choice lately, mostly due to the fact that the limited nature of the technology forces developers to show some self-control. Case in point: 10 minutes into AWAY: Shuffle Dungeon, and I was actually playing the game; compare this to my experience with Persona 4, where I've already sunk in an entire hour without fighting so much as a single demon. When I was a kid, I never thought I'd see the day when interminable prologues would become the norm. You may have missed AWAY: Shuffle Dungeon because the title had a quiet October release with little fanfare; and considering that the DS is absolutely overrun with RPGs, it's incredibly easy for something from the genre to be forgotten about after release week. Admittedly, AWAY is a little simple, even when compared the old-school DS Dragon Quest remakes--but it's refreshingly fast, fun, and perfect for short bursts of gaming. Read More... Posted Mar 19 2009, 01:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: ds, jrpg, bob mackey, majesco, away: shuffle dungeon, mistwalker

• The 61FPS Review: Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

  It may have taken 20 years, but Dragon Quest fever has finally hit the United States. True, it'll never be as intense--and, at times, frightening--as Japan's fascination with the series, but we only have to look at the past few decades for a reminder of how Dragon Quest used to be a forgotten and overlooked RPG footnote in comparison to cross-cultural hits like Final Fantasy. We've gone from Nintendo Power giving away unwanted copies of the first Dragon Quest (then known as Dragon Warrior in the States) in 1989, to Enix's American branch closing up shop in the mid-90s, to a small push for the outdated and subpar Dragon Quest VII back in 2001; but in 2005, shortly after the Square-Enix merger, the series was essentially re-launched with the phenomenal Dragon Quest VIII for the PS2. Now, nearly four years later, we're in the middle of a DS trilogy remake, the latest release being Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride. And, just like DQ's last DS remake (Dragon Quest IV, released in September), DQV stands as proof that there's never been a better time for American Dragon Quest fans. Read More... Posted Mar 17 2009, 10:00 AM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments Filed under: 61fps review, ds, dragon quest, dragon warrior, bob mackey, dragon quest iv, dragon quest viii, dragon quest iv: chapters of the chosen

• Newsflash: Your DS Isn't Making You Smarter

  It was almost three years ago that Nintendo's Brain Age hit the DS in America, bringing with it promises of increased mind power, as well as several dozen copycats. Like many others, I was caught up in brain training hysteria in mid-2006, though the novelty of tracking my progress at a handful of mini-games didn't really last more than a few weeks. But I guess in the long run, dropping my regiment of mind exercises didn't matter, now that there's more news of Brain Age's general uselessness as a grey matter stimulant. According to a report from Joystiq, "Consumer group Which assembled a panel of three neuroscientists to test the ideas that brain training games improve memory and help prevent dementia. The panel found 'weak' or no evidence to support the claims." Of course, it's doubtful that anyone takes the claims (mostly, "for entertainment purposes only") of Brain Age seriously enough that this news will effect their life in any meaningful way.  In fact, the intro of the game more or less proves its general valuelessness as a brain trainer; when Dr. Kawashima shows you the amount of prefrontal cortex activity that happens when you engage in one of Brain Age's reading activities, you don't have to be a neuroscientist to realize it might be easier to cut out the middleman and just pick up a book. And if you happen to be a nerd with an interest in how video games make us think (I'm not naming names), you'd know from books like James Paul Gee's What Videogames Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy that video games throw us into environments that require constant decision-making to solve problems, regardless of their content. Besides, it's really hard to shake the icky aftertaste that comes with any adventure in edutainment. Read More... Posted Feb 26 2009, 06:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments Filed under: brain age, ds, casual games, bob mackey, education, brain training

• Up All Night: X-Blades and the D-List Preservation Society

  “We need new pornos!” – “Spaghetti Western” by Primus Les Claypool was right. We do need new pornos. We need new trashy entertainment that borders on the pornographic. It’s essential. No, seriously. Come back. For all my highfalutin talk about the creative potency of games, I relish those games that might be a little base. A little crass. Sometimes, those games are terrible. That’s a good thing. I’ve been suffering a weird fascination with Gaijin Games’ X-Blades ever since it first popped up on Kotaku way back in November 2007, when it went by the name Oniblade. Its origins got me curious. There are hundreds of games out there that, even if you’re a rabid fanboy or a member of the press, you’ll never hear about. Korean MMOs, unlicensed Brazilian Genesis games, and, yes, weird action games from the Eastern Block; it’s impossible to follow everything. There’s just too much. So when something like X-Blades, some Russian paean to Japanese action games, pops its head far enough out of the ground you take notice. Especially when it’s coming out for consoles notorious for exorbitant development costs and marketing budgets. Read More... Posted Feb 24 2009, 07:00 PM by John Constantine with | with no comments Filed under: john constantine, playstation 3, up all night, xbox 360, PC, sega, ds, golden axe, simple 2000, x-blades, gaijin games, southpeak interactive, onechanbara, transformers, ninjabread man, transmorphers, golden axe beast rider

• The 61FPS Review: Big Bang Mini

  Big Bang Mini? More like Big Bang Awesome, you know what I'm sayin'? No? You don't know what I'm sayin'? Ah, well then, let me explain... Big Bang Mini is a very unique DS arcade shooter from French studio Arkedo and it's the kind of beautifully unique game that screams "I was made by a small team of devoted and creative people!" (Other recent examples, Flower, World of Goo, LOL, Everyday Shooter) While most arcade shooters allow you to fire and move simultaneously via dual analogue control, Big Bang Mini is entirely touch-screen controlled, so you can only do one at a time. Drag your ship around to avoid bullets, let go somewhere safe, flick up towards the top screen to fire on your enemy targets. Oh yeah, and your ammunition is fireworks. BOOM-KRACKLE-shizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... Read More... Posted Feb 18 2009, 12:30 PM by Derrick Sanskrit with | with no comments Filed under: derrick sanskrit, portal, 61fps review, ds, Retro game challenge, big bang mini, south peak, arkedo

• Retro Game Challenge is Out Today. You Will Buy It.

  It seems that, outside of a few very specific outlets, we retro game fans don't get nearly enough love. Sure, most modern franchises will occasionally throw us a bone or a little steaming nugget of fan service, but we're mostly left to our own outdated devices. This is why we should thank our lucky stars (yes, all of them) that companies like XSEED (who I respect for bringing over interesting B-Grade RPGs like Wild Arms 4 and Shadow Hearts: From the New World) recognize our need for attention and seek to remedy this problem with the release of games like Retro Game Challenge--which, if you couldn't tell from the title of this post, is out today. And I would like you to buy it. Please. The interesting thing about Retro Game Challenge is that shows no guilt about tapping into the purest roots of nostalgia; through the framing device of the game, you're basically re-living a childhood narrative of electronic entertainment. Read More... Posted Feb 10 2009, 02:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: ds, retro, game center cx, nostalgia, bob mackey, Retro game challenge

• OST: Big Bang Mini

  I finally completed Big Bang Mini's "Arcade" mode today. The final boss was somewhat of a lifelong dream come true for me, so that was magical, but the part that really impressed me was the entire world preceeding the final boss, Abyss. You see, if Big Bang Mini is "about" anything, its shooting off fireworks all around the world, and a major part of the experience of globe-hopping is the complete overhaul of graphics and sound between worlds. The graphics and sound are generally fantastic all around, but it was in Abyss that I would often just stop shooting to sit back and ponder on the sounds surrounding me. Embedded below, the music that accompanies you on your journey underwater: Read More... Posted Feb 05 2009, 03:00 PM by Derrick Sanskrit with | with no comments Filed under: derrick sanskrit, ost, ds, big bang mini

• Whatcha Playing: Cute Is The New Hardcore

  My DS Lite has been booked solid lately. Three new releases have been keeping me very busy: Konami's Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, South Peak's Big Bang Mini, and Atari's The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity. All three are wildly different games, all three have beautiful graphics that will unfortunately be labelled as "cute" and therefore "for the kids", and all three are a lot deeper than they initially look, gameplay-wise. Elebits is a direct-sequel to the early Wii title, which served as a much more impressive tech demo than Wii Play ever did and maybe even paved the way for the currently anticipated Ghostbusters video game. Kai and Zero plays more like the handheld Zeldas, though, with a top-down view and a lot of environmental puzzle solving. Omega Elebits allow you to burn barriers, create ice bridges, dig holes, see invisible platforms and more. They're essentially Link's weapons in Zelda, only they look like Pokémon. Read More... Posted Feb 03 2009, 04:30 PM by Derrick Sanskrit with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: whatcha playing, derrick sanskrit, ds, big bang mini, elebits, the chase: felix meets felicity

• Avatar: Into The Inferno - The First Hour Or So

  Knowing what a fan I am of the television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, John tasked me with liveblogging my first play session of the third (and presumably final) game based on the series, specifically the Wii version. I had played and enjoyed the DS version over the holiday break and was looking forward to comparing the two. For those that don't know, Avatar tells the story of Aang, a boy with the unique ability to "bend" all four elements (earth, air, fire and water) who must protect the world from the meglomaniacal Fire Lord. Think feudal-Japan-meets-Captain-Planet and you're just about there. Aang is assisted by his friends who each have their own unique skills, usually a slightly more powerful ability to bend only one of the four elements. Into The Inferno follows the tale of the third "book" or season of the television show and plays out as a co-op adventure platform puzzler. Here are my thoughts during the first play session. There are no story spoilers for those of you who haven't seen the show yet (John!). I hope you are vaguely amused: Read More... Posted Feb 02 2009, 04:30 PM by Derrick Sanskrit with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: derrick sanskrit, wii, ds, nickelodeon, avatar

• Mother 3 a Shred More Likely to Hit US

  Siliconera reports that Mother 3 developer Brownie Brown is interested in putting the game on the DS: While it’s way too late for Nintendo of America to backtrack and release Mother 3 as a Game Boy Advance game they could port it to the Nintendo DS. “If we were asked to make one [a DS version of Mother 3], then we would definitely like for fans abroad to play the game,” Kameoka-san said. Read More... Posted Jan 21 2009, 02:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, wii, ds, cole stryker, mother 3, gba, brownie brown

• Underrated: Scurge – Hive

  Back in 2006 a video game starring a female bounty hunter battling against hordes of mutant alien scum was released. Our heroine was armed with a weapon that could fire different types of energy bolts to take advantage of enemy weaknesses and battled against all manner of life sucking alien foes. No, I'm not talking about Metroid, but rather a cool little title that pays very obvious homage to that most venerable of game series. And yet, for all that Scurge is thematically identical to Metroid: Fusion and Prime 3 Corruption in particular, it doesn't actually play like a Metroid title at all. Read More... Posted Jan 19 2009, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: metroid, amber ahlborn, ds, gba, shooter, underrated, scurge hive

• Why, God, Why: More SaGa Games on the Way

  I don't "get" Akitoshi Kawazu. More importantly, I don't get his games. And I certainly don't get how anyone could possibly enjoy the SaGa series. No offense intended if you happen to be a Kawazu fan, of course; but for me, playing the SaGa series has always been the equivalent of heading outside to enjoy a nice summer day and immediately getting taken out by a sniper before making it past the front porch. When you play a SaGa game, it's like entering into some bizarro video game world where all the rules have changed and you might need to saw off one of your feet to escape. Needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled when I saw GoNintendo's report (via Japanese mag Shonen Jump) that the second SaGa game, released for the original Game Boy in America as Final Fantasy Legend II, will see a DS remake this year. I'm slightly consoled by the fact that SaGa 2 isn't quite as devious as some of Kawazu's later games, but this kind of thinking will only lead to me trying it and then hating myself just a few short hours later. I'm not about to embarrass myself and tell you the exact number of times I've come crawling back to the SaGa series thinking things would somehow be different, but here's a hint: too damned many. It's not clear if this game is going to make it over to America, but one thing is certain: Kawazu's contempt for the human race will continue unabated. Read More... Posted Jan 14 2009, 05:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: final fantasy, ds, akitoshi kawazu, bob mackey, square enix, saga

• Watcha Playing Xmas Swag Edition: Rune Factory 2

  When the Father of the Bride's neck is thicker than your entire torso, it pays to get on his good side. In a previous post I listed some games I had missed out on and didn't really expect to play any time soon if at all. Well, one of those games found its way to me for Xmas I'm happy to report, so naturally I played the heck out of it over my generous holiday break. I speak of course of Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon. For anyone familiar with this long running series, these are role playing games based on creating social ties with the locals and farming. I can only imagine what that pitch meeting sounded like when this idea was first introduced. A bazillion sequels later and it's proven itself a winner. Other than a brief introduction with Harvest Moon 64, this is the first time I've seriously played one of these games and I find it mesmerizingly addictive, as have so many others willing to give this sort of thing a chance. However, I have to say one thing up front. This is one of those types of games that should not have reality based reasoning applied to it. Naturally, I've been thinking a little too deeply about what all is happening in game and for your amusement, I figure I'll share my musings with you. Read More... Posted Jan 05 2009, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: amber ahlborn, ds, watcha playing, rune factory 2

• Looking Ahead: 6 DS Games that I'm Looking Forward To in 2009.

  Yeah, this list didn't quite make it to 10. Maybe if I were more of a virtual pet fan I'd have had an easier time filling this list up. Talk about your over saturated genres, yeesh. I never even picked up Nintendogs. Well, without further ado, here are 6 upcoming DS games that I am interested in. Read More... Posted Dec 18 2008, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: fire emblem, amber ahlborn, ds, dragon quest, scribblenauts, top 10, moon, rhythm heaven, big bang mini

• My Top 10 of 2008 in No Particular Order: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

  It's the end of another year, and that can only mean one thing: it's list season. Inevitably, you're going to see top ten lists by the thousands; and, as an official member of the enthusiast press, I'm afraid I can't violate my directive. But, to make things a little more interesting, I've decided to assemble my 10 favorite games of this year in non-hierarchical form because--let's face facts--it's hard to pick a favorite. And unlike other top 10 lists, this one will be doled out to you in piecemeal over the next several excruciating days! Please enjoy. Back in early 2006, when I picked up the first DS Phoenix Wright, I really didn't know what I was getting into.  Sure, the novelty of the whole "lawyer sim" thing would've been enough to carry me through at least one game, but thankfully, Phoenix Wright was more than just a gimmick.  For nearly two years, I found myself wrapped up in the epic trilogy of Phoenix Wright (at around 15-20 hours' worth of reading in each one, they'd make J.K. Rowling balk) until its inevitable end in late 2007's Trials and Tribulations.  But after the wrapping up of Capcom's convoluted tale, I still wanted more--and after staring at the same dated sprites for three whole games, it was about time for a DS-developed lawyer quest, as Capcom had teased with the substantial bonus mission at the end of Ace Attorney.  Capcom eventually promised to grant nearly all of my wishes with a brand-new installment in their created genre, but I was a little skeptical that the replacement of protagonist Phoenix Wright with some new, young pup would sour me on the sequel. Read More... Posted Dec 16 2008, 02:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: capcom, phoenix wright, ds, bob mackey, top 10, top 10 of 2008, apollo justice

• What I Missed: A Look at What I Didn't Play in 2008

  Towering Backlog of Doom I have a backlog. I have de Blob still wrapped up in plastic. I haven't even looked at what's been released on the Virtual Console of my Wii for months. This is a weird time of my gamer life. In the past it was easy to keep up with game releases; to finish the games I bought then wait with anticipation for the next batch. However, now that my gaming tastes are broader than ever and my free time to play smaller than ever, I actually have more games than I can handle. I still buy a lot of titles and add them to my pile, but I've had to accept the fact that I just have to let some games slip through my fingers, even though they interest me. Read More... Posted Dec 10 2008, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with no comments Filed under: boom blox, wii, amber ahlborn, ds, backlog, sonic chronicles, rune factory

• Sonic: Nope, Still Not Into You

  A while back, I blogged about how my personal problems with Sonic the Hedgehog were keeping me from enjoying his supposedly "good" games.  I didn't have time to play much over my admittedly short and action-packed Thanksgiving break, but I was able to test out my Sonic Hatred Hypothesis on what's supposed to be one of the best installments the series has seen in years: Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.  This game held quite a bit of promise for the simple reason that it was an RPG that Sonic Team didn't touch with their dirty, dirty hands.  And 1UP.com's review even gave it an A! But still, that fundamental hatred for Sonic and His Shitty Friends goes a long, looong way. Read More... Posted Dec 01 2008, 07:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: ds, sonic the hedgehog, bioware, bob mackey, sonic chronicles

• Watcha' Playing: Castlevania – Order of Ecclesia

  The Giant Enemy Crab lives forever in infamy. The latest Castlevania game to hit the DS is possibly the best one yet, or at the least it rubs shoulders with the best in the series in this gamer's opinion. Ever since the series started taking cues from Metroid, Castlevania (in 2D) hasn't messed much with what's become a winning formula. That said, the series has gotten a little bit stale. The point where this really came home for me was with Portrait of Ruin: a solid and fun game that I just had a heck of a time getting into. It took two false starts before I buckled down and played the game all the way through. Ecclesia however, feels fresh. Read More... Posted Nov 17 2008, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: castlevania, amber ahlborn, ds, watcha playing, castlevania order of ecclesia

• WTFriday: Atlus Takes on Third Wave Feminism

  Note to readers: WTFriday is a weekly feature where I find something stupid about video games and get you to laugh until it goes away. Please try to forget this is what I normally do every day of the week. Remember Super Princess Peach?  It was a lighthearted little platformer for the DS that featured some equally lighthearted sexism.  I'm not about to write a thesis on the game--though in my self-serving academic life, that'd be just the thing to propel me to the top--but there's something to be said about the choice to make irrational mood swings Peach's weapon of choice.  I like to think that the game contained little, collectable bottles of Pamprin until someone with some sense intervened. RPG factory Atlus looks like they're ready to tread this same ground with their upcoming DS RPG titled My World, My Way.  Known as The World Revolves Around Me in Japan (title translated, of course), My World, My Way confirms that Japan can only identify two kind of women: the kindly anemic lass, and the unbridled bitch.  From what the official web site is telling me (Warning: it will make your mouse pointer all sparkly and stuff), MWMW is about a spoiled princess--obviously, hypersexualized and preteen--turned adventurer who uses something called "Pout Points" to control the world around her.  Methinks someone on the development team had a nasty breakup. Read More... Posted Nov 14 2008, 06:30 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: ds, feminism, sexism, bob mackey, wtfriday, my world my way, rpg atlus

• Watcha Playing: Soul Bubbles Again

  I get upset when I play a game that is really good, and really tanked on the market. I hate playing a game that some development team really believed in, to the point of setting it up for a sequel, only to know too few people bought it to keep the budding series alive. It angers me to see a game design that goes off the beaten path, bring to life a fun concept, only to have the consumer public ignore it in favor of the games plodding down the well worn trench of safe design. Why do good games fail? Poor to nonexistent advertising is one reason, being too original is another. Consumers are timid creatures, easily frightened by things that are different. Being sold exclusively at Toys R Us is also a reason for a good game to fail. Read More... Posted Oct 28 2008, 11:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: amber ahlborn, ds, watcha playing, soul bubbles

• Suffering Castlevania Fatigue

  It's hard to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when it comes to Castlevania--I'd rather see an installment from Koji Igarashi's beloved franchise on the DS than yet another animal grooming game. But since the series has moved to the DS, I've been slightly disappointed. As good as Dawn of Sorrow was on its own terms, the game felt waaay too much like Aria of Sorrow, even within the limited Castlevania framework established over a decade ago by Symphony of the Night. (I'll go ahead and admit that, three years later, Dawn is a game I really need to re-visit, now that I'm even further removed from its predecessor.) My reaction was even worse with 2006's Portrait of Ruin which claimed to be a return to the roots of classic Castlevania that I never liked much to begin with.  I can't tell you if Portrait lived up to its promises, because my limited time with the game was spent pressing the character change button in order to annoy people in my immediate vicinity. "Charlotte!" "Jonathan!" "Charlotte!" "Jonathan!" You get the idea. Read More... Posted Oct 21 2008, 09:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: castlevania, castlevania 2, ds, koji igarashi, bob mackey, castlevania portrait of ruin, castlevania aria of sorrow, castlevania dawn of sorrow

• Barack Obama: Master Debater

  With 2008 being an election year, you'd think there'd be more video game/politics crossovers. Sure, we've got The Political Machine, but that's about it; I know this sort of material can become dated fast (see the Bush-esque politician in 2004's Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal), but--damn it--how are we nerds supposed to connect to politics in any substantial way? The answer to this question, of course, lies in the community; and the video I wish to showcase is proof of that.  YouTube user wddpcbass has produced a neat little parody that, while lacking in production values, takes a key moment in the last Presidential debate and perfectly translates it into a scene from the Phoenix Wright series. Obviously, if you've never played any of Capcom's DS lawyer sims, you'll have no idea why this is supposed to be funny. But trust me: it is.  All that's missing is John McCain tearing off a wig or pounding the lectern. Note: The context for this video is that Obama is replying to a misconception about his tax plan. After seeing this parody, all I can think about is a political campaign sim very much in the style of Phoenix Wright: travel to different locations, dig up dirt on your enemies, and destroy them in a formal debate. And in my fictional game world, the moderators of said debates will actually have power over the proceedings. Any takers? This could be huge. Read More... Posted Oct 16 2008, 05:30 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: capcom, phoenix wright, ds, parody, bob mackey, politics, obama

• Watcha Playing: Castlevania - Portrait of Ruin

  I have had Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin ever since it was released, but only now am I finally going to beat it. The first time I played it, I screwed up and wasn't going to get the best ending. Yeah, I'm one of those gamers who would rather start over than continue after making a bad plot point choice. Unfortunately, I just haven't been in the mood for a Castlevania game for quite a long time. After a few false starts, the game has languished on my shelf for months. There's another Castlevania coming for the DS soon, however, so it's time I closed the book on this one. Read More... Posted Oct 09 2008, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: castlevania, amber ahlborn, ds, watcha playing, castlevania portrait of ruin

• The 'Bout Time Report: Dragon Quest IX Gets a Release Date

  The Dragon Quest games have never been known for their timeliness; Dragon Quest VII in particular had a development time so troubled that when it eventually came out, the game had a sorry first-gen aesthetic in a world where both Vagrant Story and Chrono Cross existed. But according to Kotaku, the upcoming Dragon Quest IX finally has a release date--nearly two years after the shocking announcement that the game would be exclusive to the DS. In this case, the DQ team's lack of promptness won't affect them much--as if it ever did before. The passing of time has only seen millions more DS systems sold, which means that Square-Enix is well on their way towards taking over the world. The reveal of DQ on the DS two years ago was a bit of a surprise, but it actually made sense when you stopped to think about it. Dragon Quest was never a series that prided itself--or relied--on visuals; despite what a show-stopping blockbuster VIII ended up being. When it comes to the franchise in general, VIII was a definite deviation; all of the standard DQ trappings still existed, but they were dressed up in the trappings of a lavish late-gen PS2 game--and even more so in the renovated US version. As much as I'd love to see another game in the same vein as DQVIII--which felt like the only authentic RPG of that generation--the format of IX doesn't really matter. Even with a game as relatively ugly as the DS remake of DQIV, that same addictive DQ formula is present regardless of the graphics. Read More... Posted Oct 01 2008, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments Filed under: ds, square-enix, dragon quest, bob mackey, dragon quest ix

• RPGs Make Me OCD

  Playing Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen has unleashed my inner demons--but luckily for me, these demons are neat, orderly, and keep everything in nice little piles. Now, I'm normally just a neat freak, and I try to keep my OCD tendencies to a minimum; but there's just something about RPGs that turns me into a hand-washing, tile-counting, light-switch-flicking freak, and I'm not sure if I can help it. On the brighter side of things, this behavior of mine makes certain games last, much, much longer than they should. For the darker side of things, please see my last point. When playing console RPGs, there are certain things I just have to do no matter what--and whether or not I need to be on prescription medication should be decided by you, dear reader. What follows is a list of my RPG compulsions: - Talking to everyone in town, then talking to everyone again once an event changes their dialogue. - Checking every desk/drawer/lamp/treasure nook in every possible location. - Not being able to leave or move on from an area until I have the best possible weapons/armor available from said area. - Making sure my status-ailment curing items are always in totals divisible by 5 (this worries me) - Never, ever using my uber-powerful items, even when I need them. You want elixirs? I've got 'em. Read More... Posted Sep 29 2008, 02:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: rpg, ds, final fantasy xii, dragon quest iv, ocd

• Are We Ready for a New DS?

  Get ready for trade-in values to drop; a shocking weekend news post from Wired's Game|Life revealed that Nintendo may be in the mood for another renovation to their popular platform. Game|Life head honcho Chris Kohler breaks it down for all of us who are unfortunate enough to lack fluency in Japanese: Nikkei Net, the online arm of Japan's foremost economic newspaper, reports that the new model will launch this year in Japan and include a camera and music playback. Nikkei's take on the new machine is that Nintendo is moving outside the boundaries of the "game industry" and attempting to create a device that will compete with more general electronics like cell phones. Nikkei does point out that the camera function of DS could be integrated with gameplay, by allowing games to use the photos taken with the hardware. There's no doubt that the DS' 2006 remodel was a much-needed change; it made the system smaller, brighter, and look remarkably less like a toy. I'm one of many who handed down their fat DS to a loved one or stranger for the benefit of a much sleeker handheld--and the DS Lite has been so awesome that I feel no resentment for Nintendo. The changes to this supposed new model aren't quite as drastic as what would be in the DS2 (or whatever Nintendo decides to call it), though they're pretty big nonetheless. But will Americans really fall for a third model of the same product? Read More... Posted Sep 29 2008, 11:00 AM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, ds, game boy advance, hardware

• Me VS. Blue Hedgehog

  Just yesterday Bob Mackey posted about his experiences with Sonic the Hedgehog. Naturally, this put me in mind of my own rather odd relationship with Sega's troubled mascot. Back in the days of the 16 bit wars I was deep in the Nintendo trenches, so anything that came from Sega was of the devil. Sonic was an enemy general to be assaulted on any playground where gamers collided in verbal combat. Okay, enough with the war analogies. After growing up and leaving my blind brand loyalties behind, I decided to try and like the guy. After all, with such a large fan following, Sonic games had to be pretty good right? Read More... Posted Sep 25 2008, 10:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: wii, gamecube, amber ahlborn, ds, sonic the hedgehog, sonic unleashed, sonic and the secret rings, gba, sonic chronicles

• Anticipation Time: Dragon Quest IV

  For as much as we like to bitch and moan about innovation in gaming, sometimes it's just nice to be face-deep in a big ol' nostalgia pie--especially if said pie was almost given to us six years ago and then snatched away without the promise of future pie time.  What I'm trying to say with this strained analogy is that the remake of Dragon Quest IV is finally coming to the US on September 16th, and we should all be thankful. If you're unaware of the scandal behind the Dragon Quest IV remake, it's important to know that we almost got it six years ago; released for the Playstation in Japan, Enix promised to bring the game to the States on the back of the instructions of the US-released Dragon Warrior VII.  Unfortunately, Heartbeat, who "programmed" both VII and the IV remake, folded, making the necessary localization re-programming more trouble than it was actually worth.  But honestly, Heartbeat's implosion was really for the best; it allowed Enix to pass the game to a much more qualified team (Level 5), and Heartbeat's take on the series kind of buried the magic of Dragon Quest under a load of crummy graphics (even for a game rooted in nostalgia) and sloppy, buggy menus.  VII was already a turd of a game, but Heartbeat didn't help matters much. Read More... Posted Sep 04 2008, 03:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: ds, dragon quest, final fantasy iv ds, remakes, bob mackey