Month: June 2016

Kirby: Planet Robobot Review: An update to an excellent model

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Platformer

No. of Players 1-4 cooperatively with a single game

ESRB

“Kirby: Triple Deluxe” was a fun game on the Nintendo 3DS. While it did not change much from the Wii game “Kirby’s Return to Dreamland,” the game was well designed and offered a fun time. Likewise, “Kirby: Planet Robobot” the most recent game in the series, does not reinvent the wheel, but gives players a good title with excellent level design and deep gameplay.

The main story line is nothing that will win any awards. One day, while Kirby was napping, invaders from the Haltmann Works Company arrive on Pop Star and proceed to strip mine the planet of its natural resources and replace nature with machines. Fortunately, Kirby wakes up and proceeds to fight back against the corporation.

The core gameplay remains the same compared to other games in the series. Players make their way across colorful locales while dealing with enemies along the way. Like before, players are able to access Kirby’s copy abilities by eating enemies. The ability list consists of series staples such as Fire, Sword, Fighter and Stone Kirby, along with some new ones. ESP Kirby uses an orb of psychic energy that can be freely moved around the screen and has the ability to teleport to avoid attacks and counterattack. While Kirby is vulnerable while controlling the orb, it is powerful enough to take out most enemies in one or two hits and the teleportation and counter make it easy to avoid attacks, making it a fun move set to use. Another new ability is Doctor Kirby, which involves thrown pills, a clipboard used for a shield bash, a rain of medicine sprayed using a syringe and a mixture of different chemicals for random effects, maiking for an unorthodox and luck driven fighting style. Poison Kirby is similar to Water Kirby from previous installments, but is unique in the fact that poison is left on the ground after each attack and the use of poison gas clouds that can be blown around by wind. The latter of which factors into puzzles.

Speaking of puzzles, each level has one or more puzzles that require the use of a specific copy ability to proceed, such as cutting ropes, lighting fuses or delivering power to generators. These tend to be optional but lead to code cubes needed to unlock boss fights at the end of each world and extra levels that are much more challenging. Fortunately, the game always has the appropriate enemy available when a puzzle needs to be solved.

What is new is the Robobot Armor. These serve as this games equivalent to “Return to Dream Land’s” Super Abilities and “Triple Deluxe’s” Hypernova ability. By hijacking the robot you are able to smash though almost everything, including new obstacles that cannot be overcome without it. Unlike its predecessors, the Robobot Armor does not lock the player into a single move set as the armor can scan enemies to change modes. Essentially, you still have access to copy abilities. Fortunately, the game balances out the use of Robobot Armor by including places too small for it to fit . Where it does fit, it does not feel any harder to navigate than it is to do so on foot.

While normal gameplay is fun, the bosses are the highlight of “Planet Robobot.” Whether you are fighting a new take on a classic boss or an entirely new foe, the bosses are consistently challenging, but not frustrating. The finale in particular raises the bar for how intense a battle can be.

In addition to the main game, there are also three additional challenges. You can play through the game again as Meta Knight in Meta Knightmare Returns. Basically, you go through the game with a permanent sword ability and some additional special abilities such as healing and screen clearing attacks. In addition, players also get to fight tougher versions of the main game’s bosses, as well as some exclusive bosses. If you are feeling daring, you can challenge The Arena, where you fight the main game bosses back to back with limited healing items, or The True Arena, which features the harder bosses from Meta Knightmare Returns and even more limited healing.

Finally, there are two mini games to play. Kirby 3D Rumble, features full 3D gameplay for the first time in the series. But with only three stages and no copy abilities, the game feels like an afterthought. The other mini game, Team Kirby Clash allows up to four players to cooperate against bosses from past games in the series. In this mode, four copy abilities, Sword, Beam, Hammer and Doctor are redesigned to resemble traditional RPG character classes and get new abilities to go with them. For example, the Beam Mage gets Time Beam which can freeze time if it hits the enemy enough time, while Doctor Healmore gets an area of effect healing spell. With the right friends this is really fun, but alone, the AI is competent enough to work well with a human player. The best part is that Team Kirby Clash can be played with just one copy of the game.

“Kirby: Planet Robobot” does not reinvent the wheel, but it uses the well established formula to provide another enjoyable experience.

Score 8/10

New details on Pokémon Sun and Moon revealed

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo released a new trailer for the upcoming “Pokémon Sun and Moon.” With it came some new information, including details about the two main legendary Pokémon.

These two creatures were shown briefly in the previous trailer, and on the games’ box art, but were unnamed. Not only do we know their names, but also other important information as well. “Sun’s” mascot is Solgaleo, a Steel and Psychic-type Pokémon that resembles a white lion with a starburst shaped mane, evocative of the sun. It comes with the unique ability Full Metal Body, which negates stat reductions, and can learn the move Sunsteel Strike, a Steel-type attack that ignores the target’s ability.

“Moon,” on the other hand, features the Psychic and Ghost-type Lunala. It is a large bat with wings that resemble a crescent moon and a similarly shaped head. When its wings are fully unfurled, it resembles a full moon. In battle, Lunala has the ability Shadow Shield, which reduces the amount of damage taken when it is at full health. It can also learn the move, Moongeist Beam. Like Solgaleo’s Sunsteel Strike, this Ghost-type move will ignore the target’s ability. As expected, Solgaleo and Lunala will both play a major role in the plot.

The trailer also showed a map of the games’ setting, the Alola region. As the name suggests, the region is based on Hawaii. It is a chain of four major islands with many smaller ones surrounding them. Your character has recently moved to Alola, where he or she will begin their journey as is routine for Pokémon games. The regional expert on Pokémon, Professor Kukui will give you one of three starter Pokémon; the Grass and Flying-type owlet Rowlet, the Fire-type kitten Litten or the Water-type sea lion Popplio; and a Pokédex and sends you off to collect every Pokémon.

However, there is a twist. Your new Pokédex is inhabited by a Rotom, a Ghost and Electric-type Pokémon that was introduced in “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.” Rotom has been known to possess appliances, but this has never been a major plot point. Now, the new Pokédex has been designed to contain a Rotom, which allows it to talk to you. It will discuss your performance, give hints on where to go next and even comment what other characters have said.

Finally, players will be able to generate QR codes corresponding to the Pokémon they have caught and share them with friends. Scanning one of these codes will allow you to register a Pokémon to your Pokédex as seen and find out where that creature can be found.

“Pokémon Sun and Moon” will be released on November 18 for the Nintendo 3DS. Before then, Nintendo will show a live stream of the gameplay as part of their E3 coverage. The live stream will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time before transitioning into their coverage of “The Legend of Zelda” for Wii U and NX.