3DS

Fire Emblem Direct reveals new titles, reveals new information on existing titles.

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo’s first “Nintendo Direct” of the year aired on January 18, and had a focus one of their franchises that has enjoyed worldwide success in recent years, “Fire Emblem.” In addition to information on two previously announced titles, Nintendo also surprised the fans with two completely new games.

The direct started with the reveal of “Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia” for Nintendo 3DS. It is a remake of the Famicom game “Fire Emblem Gaiden,” giving western players their first chance to enjoy this unique game in the series. The game is set on the continent of Valentia, in the same world as Archanea, where Marth’s games took place. Valencia is divided into two kingdoms. The first is Zofia, a prosperous and peaceful kingdom where the people have become irresponsible and hedonistic due to their goddess providing everything they need and the people do not have to work. By contrast, the kingdom of Riegel is a strong and militaristic nation where the people work hard, but are cold and devoid of compassion thanks to the teachings of their god. The two kingdoms shared a peaceful coexistence, until Riegel declared war on Zofia. The game focuses on two protagonists, the young warrior Alm, and the priestess-in-training Celica, as they fight back against Riegel.

“Gaiden” was known for deviating heavily from the “Fire Emblem”formula by introducing a world map, optional battles for more experience and branched promotional trees, that would not be seen again until “Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones” and later in “Awakening” and “Fates.” “Gaiden,” on the other hand, went further by introducing freely explorable towns and dungeons similar to a standard RPG. In the dungeons, the usual strategy battles begin when encountering an enemy. “Echoes” will keep these elements intact while updating the visuals to 3D graphics in a similar style to “Awakening” and “Fates.” In addition, Nintendo will release amiibo figurines of Alm and Celica, which currently serve an unknown purpose. Fans will not have to wait too long as “Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia” will be released on May 19, along with the new amiibo.

The Direct next revealed that a new “Fire Emblem” game is going to be released on Nintendo Switch. This is the first game in the main series to be released for a home console since the Wii game “Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn” in 2007. No details were given for the game, but it is planned to be released in 2018.

Next on the list of announcements was the reveal that “Fire Emblem Warriors” would be released on the New Nintendo 3DS, along side the previously announced Switch version. The game is a “Dynasty Warriors” style game with “Fire Emblem” characters, similar how “Hyrule Warriors” featured characters from “The Legend of Zelda.” The only gameplay shown so far was a brief clip of Chrom from “Awakening” cutting down an army. However the preview trailer also showed several swords from the series, such as Yato, Raijinto and Siegfried from “Fates” and the original Falchion from “Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light, and its remake “Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.” This implies that Corrin, Ryoma, Xander and Marth will also be playable. “Fire Emblem Warriors” will be released in Fall 2017.

Finally, viewers were given an in-depth look at “Fire Emblem Heroes,” a previously announced mobile title. Players take on the role of a summoner in the Order of Heroes in order to help defend the Kingdom of Askr against the invading Emblian Empire. In order to do so, players must summon the heroes of past “Fire Emblem” games to serve as units in their army. The game play is the same as past games in the series, but the maps are small enough to fit on a standard smartphone screen. The game has been confirmed to be a free download, but offer in-app purchases to get more orbs to summon heroes. The game was confirmed to be released on iOS and Android on February 2 after a vague statement that the iOS version would be released “soon.” Preregistration has begun on Google Play, but not on the App Store. In the meantime, players can vote on which characters they want to see in the game. Apparently it is not strictly limited to heroes, as villains are also present on the ballot.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix Review: Platinum Hits

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Nintendo 3DS (eShop only)

Genre: Rhythm

No. of Players: 1-4 local wireless and download play

ESRB: E

The “Rhythm Heaven” series occupies a lovely niche in the gaming world. It challenges players to complete mini-games to the beat of the music, each of which was set in a different, but bizarre situation. The latest title, “Rhythm Heaven Megamix,” is a celebration of what makes the series so fun by bringing back the most memorable games from past installments while introducing new games.

What makes this installment different is additional feedback on how the player performs. While the game only counts beats as hit or missed, visual feedback is given on the bottom screen in the form of rings of stars. The closer you are to the beat, the closer the the rings are to the center of the screen. Solid red rings on the edges of the screen indicate a miss. As long as stars show up on the screen, it counts as a hit. But players are encouraged keep a perfect beat by highlighting a specific beat that awards a skill star if hit perfectly.  There is one per game, which yields extra coins if successful.

Speaking of coins, they are awarded based upon the player’s performance on each game, with extra coins awarded for earning the skill star and hitting every note. These coins are used to purchase background information on each game and music tracks to listen to anytime you wish. In past installments, these prizes were awarded for completing perfect challenges. Like past games, you will be randomly challenged to do a perfect run on a random game. As long as it all beats are hit, it will count as perfect. However, you can do perfectly when a mini-game is not highlighted and it will not count as completing the perfect challenge. Instead of bonus material, perfect challenges yield Flow Balls, which can be spent on additional games.  Unfortunately, the bonus games tend to be some of the weaker mini-games in the series and are disproportionally representative of  the Wii game “Rhythm Heaven Fever.”

As for the mini-games themselves, the gameplay is as addictive as ever. Old favorites such as “Sneaky Spirits,” “Karate Man,” “Munchy Monk” and “Glee Club” are joined by new games such as “LumBEARjacks,” “Flamencobot 9000” and “Rhythm Rally.” All of them are set to catchy tunes that are likely to be come ear worms and are fun to play. While there is a story to connect the games, it does not matter at all. In the event that you get stuck, you are allowed to skip a game and come back to it later, so the game is user-friendly. In addition, a numerical score and gauge are added to the results screen, so players get a better idea of how much they can improve and how much they need to do so to get a higher ranking. This gives a better idea of a player’s performance than past games, where you could be complimented on your performance, but you were merely OK when you expected a Superb.

Overall, “Rhythm Heaven Megamix” is just as high-quality and quirky as its predecessors. Don’t be surprised if you end up losing track of time while playing this game.

Score: 9/10

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.

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright Review: Simpler warfare but just as satisfying

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Strategy 

No. of players: 1-2 Local wireless or online 

ESRB: T
Having previously played through “Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest,” I went into the second route knowing I would end up fighting those who I once called comrades. I thought I had steeled myself for the inevitable confrontation with the Nohr royal family, but it was still a gut punch fighting them.

Like its companion game, “Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright” tells the story of the war between Hoshido and Nohr. Unlike “Conquest,” the player-customized avatar sides with his or her blood siblings in Hoshido’s royal family instead of his or her adopted siblings in Nohr. As a result, players will get to know characters who were enemies in “Conquest” and get a new set of classes. For example, pegasus-mounted sky knights replace weyvern riders and ninjas replace outlaws. Like the cast of “Conquest,” the units here are very likable, if more aggressive. The story even gives the avatar different character development, showing them to be more confident in their ideals.

For the most part, gameplay is identical to “Conquest.” Battles still play out by the same rules, but you will have access to different weapons. For example, healers use rods which have more range than staves, but do not restore as much health. Axes are traded out for clubs which are weaker, but more accurate.

In addition, “Birthright” is much easier than “Conquest.” This is mainly due to having access to a world map. This allows you to engage in optional battles for extra experience and money. This also make it easier to build up support ranks to unlock conversations between two units and eventually get them married. This will result in the couples having children who can then be recruited with skills and alternate classes inherited from their parents.

Unfortunately, “Birthright” does not have as much mission variety as “Conquest.” Almost every map requires you to either defeat every enemy or defeat a boss with very little deviance from the norm. By comparison, “Conquest” ask you to escape maps within a turn limit, seize a particular square or hold the line for a certain number of turns. After playing “Conquest” this is a little disappointing.

The maps are also easier compared to “Conquest’s.”But this does not mean you can be sloppy,  as the enemy AI is still very intelligent. They will gang up on lone units, go straight for defenseless units and attack from where you cannot counter them. Mistakes are still very costly, especially on Classic Mode, where all deaths are final. Those who find this too intense can opt for Casual Mode, in which fallen units retreat but come back the following chapter, or Phoenix Mode, in which fallen units get back up the following turn. You can reduce the difficulty at any time, but may never increase it.

Overall, “Birthright” is simpler than “Conquest” but no less enjoyable. While the simpler mission objectives are a little disappointing, it is the price to pay for an easier game. For the complete experience, be sure to play through both “Birthright” and “Conquest,” as well as the DLC-only third path, “Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation.”

Score: 9.5/10

Nintendo’s plans for the rest of 2016 to early 2017 are worrisome

Posted on by astyahla

Last week, Nintendo announced that their next console, codenamed NX, will launch in March 2017. While that in and of itself is good news, what was revealed around that statement shows that the company is in a dire situation.

This announcement came as part of Nintendo’s annual financial reports. Once of the biggest take aways is that their profits are down 61 percent. Part of this is to blame on the lack of major, system-selling titles released toward the end of the year. For comparison, 2014 saw the release of major titles such as “Mario Kart 8,” “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U” and “Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.”  By comparison, 2015 had some hits for the company, such as the surprise success that was “Splatoon” and “Super Mario Maker,” Nintendo’s holiday line up that year was lacking, with “Xenoblade Chronicles X” being the main triple A title at the time.

Even without considering the rough year, it is clear that Nintendo’s current home console, the Wii U is on its last legs. Despite having a head start of a year over the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, the Wii U has only sold 12 million units world wide since 2012. By comparison, Microsoft has sold 20.7 million Xbox One units, while Sony has sold 39.8 million Playstation 4 units. Back in 2014, Nintendo made a huge push to turn the Wii U around. With the game lineup, it looked like it could make a comeback. Today, however, those hopes were for naught.

Now, the big question is, “Why did the Wii U fail?” For starters, the Wii U had very poor third-party support. At first, a lot of third-parties such as EA, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Sega and Activision were on board, even if a lot of those games were ports of existing games. Most noticeably, Ubisoft brought two games in the “Assassin’s Creed” series to Wii U after skipping out on the Wii, and “Rayman Legends” was originally planned to be a Wii U exclusive. However, a lot of these companies either jumped ship or made inferior versions of games from other platforms when it became clear that their games were not selling. Now, the only major third party game on the horizon for the Wii U is “Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Other than that, the main sources of third-party games are indie titles. Excellent indie titles to be sure, but they are not as likely to gain people’s attention.

Also, there was a lot of confusion early on as to what the Wii U was. I remember talking to a lot of people who thought the Wii U was just the Gamepad and it was an accessory for the  Wii. Even after that confusion was cleared up, there did not seem to be any indication that third-parties knew what to do with the Gamepad. If Nintendo had just stuck to a normal controller, more people may have paid attention and supported the console.

Further evidence that Nintendo is giving up on the Wii U is that “The Legend of Zelda Wii U” has been delayed yet again. The game was originally announced at E3 2014 and was planned to be released in 2015. Early on in 2015, Nintendo revealed that the game was delayed into 2016 in order to ensure that the game was up to fan expectations. It looked like this would stick when the 2016 release was reiterated during the November 2015 Nintendo Direct. Not only has Zelda Wii U been delayed to March 2017, but the game is now going to have a simultaneous release on the Wii U and the NX. A similar situation happened with “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.” This game was originally going to be released on the Gamecube during the 2005 holiday season, only to get delayed and resurface as a simultaneous release for the Gamecube and the newly launched Wii the following year.

To make matters worse, Nintendo has confirmed that Zelda will be the only game they would have playable at E3 2016 in June, but they also have no plans to show the NX at the show. While it is nice to know the general release date, the fact that we still know next to nothing about the game or the system is worrisome. While Nintendo is known for taking their time, all of this silence is getting on my nerves.

In the meantime, there is a noticeably sparse release schedule for both of Nintendo’s current systems. To be sure there are still some games to be released for the Wii U. This June will have three noteworthy games for the system. First Comcept will finally release “Mighty No. 9” for all major systems including Wii U, along with PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, assuming they do not push back the date any further. However the 3DS and Vita versions will be released at a later date. Also Nintendo will release two games on June 24, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” and “Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.” In addition “Paper Mario: Color Splash” will be released later this year. Finally, the Wii U will get a major indie title in the form of “Yooka-Laylee” in October.

The 3DS on the other hand is still going strong. The next major release for the system is “Kirby: Planet Robobot” on June 10. Also, “Ace Attorney 6” will be released in Japan on June 9. A worldwide release has also been confirmed. Neither of these compare to what is sure to be Nintendo’s biggest selling title this year. “Pokemon Sun and Moon” will release this Holiday season.

Finally, Nintendo also announced their next two Mobile titles. They will be new installments in the “Fire Emblem” and “Animal Crossing” series. Unlike “Miitomo,” they have been confirmed to be actual games. The “Animal Crossing” app has been confirmed to connect to other games in the series, but it is unclear if this means “New Leaf,” “Happy Home Designer” or a new game that has yet to be announced. Both apps will be released this Fall.

If anything, the failure of the Wii U shows that Nintendo is down but not out. They will focus on regaining their footing this year and come out swinging with the NX in March 2017.

Fire Emblem Fates Conquest review: greater challenge, worthy struggle

Posted on by astyahla

System: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Strategy

No. of Players: 1-2 local wireless and online

ESRB: T

The latest game in the “Fire Emblem” series is so large that it had to be divided into three parts for publication. All three of them contribute to “Fire Emblem Fates'” story of two kingdoms at war, with the player character born to the royal family of the peaceful kingdom of Hoshido, but kidnapped at a young age and raised as royalty in the militaristic kingdom of Nohr. Torn between your newfound blood relatives and the people you have called family all of your life, you must choose a side. The first two versions of the game, “Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright” and “Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest” correspond to each side. “Conquest” has you side with Nohr, the aggressors in the war, in hopes of bringing a peaceful end to the conflict. What follows is a well designed game that does not hold back on the difficulty.

The core gameplay of the series is intact and is as simple to understand but hard to master as ever. You move your soldiers across a grid to attack others with performance being determined by a number of factors. “Fates” adds a few new mechanics to the game that add new options. For example, your character and their siblings use special spaces on the map called Dragon Veins to alter the map in various ways. While this can be instrumental in your victory, the game does a good job of making you consider when is the best time to use them as you can just as easily move enemies into a good position for them as you can get them into a trap, or cut off your own escape routes as easily as you can open a new path. In addition, the royals of Hoshido can use them too, so you have to stay on your toes.

In addition, weapons no longer have limited durability. While it sounds tempting to arm everyone in your army with the most powerful weapons available as soon as possible, their strength is now countered by inflicting stat penalties either while equipped or after use. Instead, you are meant to carry multiple weapons and switch between them based upon the situation, only using the most powerful weapons when you can afford the stat penalties.

Between chapters, you can build your own castle and choose which facilities you have access to, such as an armory, a smithy to combine two of the same weapon to make them more powerful, a lottery shop for a chance to win rare weapons, a mess hall to cook meals for stat boosts or a prison to hold captured enemies and attempt to win them over to your side. You can also build objects such as turrets or Faceless to help defend your castle during the occasional invasion or battles with other players via local wireless or the internet.

In comparison to “Birthright,” “Conquest” is the more difficult of the two games. The enemies are smart enough to use any advantage they can to take you down. If there is a unit they have an advantage over, they will go for that unit. If someone is off on their own, they will get ganged up on. Fortunately, they will still fall take the bait if you place a single unit within enemy range but have the rest of your army ready to take them down. It is crucial that you take advantage of attack stance and guard stance. These stances are like the Pair Up system from “Awakening” but not as overpowered. If two allies are standing next to each other, one will follow the first unit’s attack with one of their own but will never defend the first unit from attacks. If two units are paired up, they will occupy the same space. The unit in the back will automatically block any attacks from a unit in attack stance and when a gauge is filled by the front unit attacking and being attacked, they will block a single attack from the main attacking unit. Unlike “Awakening,” the enemy can also use these stances but are subjected to the same rules.

Fighting alongside each other not only gives you an advantage in battle, but also improves the relationships between two units to unlock support conversations, which help flesh out the characters. Overall the playable cast is memorable with standouts such as Arthur, a fighter with a strong obsession with justice but takes time to understand the nuances of the concept and has horrible luck in and out of battle, Effie, a super strong knight who worries she is too strong, and Niles, an outlaw with a rapier wit and a love of teasing others. All of the characters have deep back stories to explore and reasons you want to keep them alive. If two characters of the opposite sex build their support ratings enough, they will get married and have children who inherit skills, classes and stats form their parents and can be recruited. However, the reason the children are old enough to fight is rather contrived and none of them have a major role in the story. However, their levels at recruitment scale based on how far in the main story you are and potentially come with an item that allows you to promote them and get them to a level appropriate to the story beyond a certain point.

However, “Conquest” does not give you a lot of chances to build relationships as you move on from one chapter to the next with no chance to grind for experience or money. You do get the chance to do side chapters from time to time, but they are limited. Furthermore, you can play the DLC chapters as many times as you want, but only one of them gives you experience. By comparison, “Birthright” allows you to grind all you want between chapters. On the other hand, “Conquest” has a lot more mission variety compared to “Birthright.” One chapter you may be asked to seize a throne or gate, another will ask you to defend a specific part of the map for so many turns. Yet another may require you to escape the map within so many turns. This variety will keep you on your toes and give you more to think about.

For those who find themselves in over their heads, you can lower the difficulty between chapters, but you cannot raise it. You can also choose between three different gameplay modes which change how fallen units are handled. Longtime fans will want to stick to Classic Mode, which features permadeath and makes the main character’s death an instant loss. For a less intense experience, you can play on Casual Mode. This mode has fallen allies flee battle instead of dying. They will return at the end of the chapter. Those who cannot even handle this can play on Phoenix Mode, where fallen allies auto revive on the next turn, making it hard to lose. However it is still possible to lose if you fail the objective.

While the gameplay is excellent, there are few issuses with the story. For example, the main character comes off as weak willed, as they continue to do morally questionable acts under orders from the corrupt King Garon, but do nothing to directly oppose him until late in the game, despite advocating peaceful actions. While the localization makes it clear that Hoshido committed some dubious actions and plays up the aggressive racism several of its people, it still comes off as more upstandging nation compared to Nohr. Furthermore, Garon’s subordinates are clearly evil men, further contributing to the black and white morality on display here, with “Conquest” comming off as a villain campaign.

Despite some hiccups in the story, “Conquest” is an excellent game. Those looking for a challenge will find it here. You will feel accomplished for finishing this game. Naturally, those who want the full story will also want to play through “Birthright” and the third path “Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation.”

Score 9.5/10

Milestone Anniversaries abound in 2016

Posted on by astyahla

It was only last year when Nintendo celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Super Mario Bros.” Yet this year there are at least three noteworthy series hitting a milestone.

The first and most visible celebration is “Pokémon’s” 20th anniversary. This being one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, they are going all out to promote it. For starters, two new games are set to be released worldwide in 2016. First, “Pokkén Tournament” will be released worldwide on Wii U on March 18. This fighting game from the creators of “Tekken” sees a handful of the series most recognizable creatures enter more intense battles than have ever been seen before. In addition, Pokémon Go will be released in early 2016 for iOS and Android. This augmented reality based app allows players to find and catch Pokémon in real world locations. They will also be able to connect with other players to battle and trade. In addition, there will also be an accessory called Pokémon Go Plus that notifies users of in-game events through a multicolored LED and vibrations. It will connect to the users phone via Bluetooth.

In addition to the new games, Nintendo will also re-release “Pokémon Red Version,” “Pokémon Blue Version” and “Pokémon Yellow Version” on the Nintendo 3DS  eShop on February 27, exactly 20 years after the original Japanese release of “Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions.” Unlike other 3DS Virtual Console titles that have been stripped of their multiplayer features due to the lack of a link cable, the “Pokémon” titles will keep the ability to trade and battle with others using the 3DS wireless features. Nintendo will also rerelease a special New Nintendo 3DS with both Red and Blue preloaded and face plates of Charizard and Blastoise as they appeared on the original box art.

Meanwhile, Nintendo will be distributing various event Pokemon throughout the year. Each one will be available from the 1st to the 24th of each month from February to December and is obtainable in “Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.” Gamestop is currently offering serial codes for Mew while supplies last. The remaining event Pokémon are Celebi in March, Jirachi in April, Darkrai in May, Manaphy in June, Shaymin in July, Arceus in August, Victini in September, Keldeo in October, Genesect in November and Meloetta in December. Darkrai, Arceus and Genesect will be available through serial codes from Gamestop, while the rest will be obtainable through the Nintendo Network.

“Pokémon” is not the only series to celebrate a milestone this year. 2016 also marks the 30th anniversary of “The Legend of Zelda.” While there is not as much fanfare at this point, Nintendo has three “Zelda” games set to be released before the year’s end. First, “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD” will be released on Wii U on March 4 in North America and Europe, and on March 10 in Japan. Originally one of the last major games on the Gamecube and a launch title for the Wii, the Wii U version of the game offers more than just a visual upgrade. On normal mode, the world is arranged like it was in the Gamecube version. In the new, more challenging Hero Mode, the world is flipped 180 degrees like it was in the Wii version, and you will take double damage. In addition, amiibo functionality has been added. By scanning the Link or Toon Link amiibo, you can refill your quiver with arrows anytime you wish. The Zelda and Shiek amiibo will completely restore your health anytime. The Ganondorf amiibo, on the other hand, will make you take double damage for the remainder of your play session. This will also stack on top of the Hero Mode damage multiplier, potentially making a single hit spell certain doom. The new Wolf Link amiibo will open a new challenging dungeon called the Cave of Shadows, which features several floor of enemies that can only be challenged by Wolf Link with no hearts available. Fortunately, once per attempt, you can scan the Wolf Link amiibo again to heal yourself. If you beat the dungeon, you will receive the Colossal Wallet, which allows you to carry up to 9,999 rupees, and you can save a record of how many hearts you had when you finished the dungeon and restore that amount on subsequent scans. Said data can also be carried over to “The Legend of Zelda Wii U,” which is due for a 2016 release.

In addition to the Wii U games, “Hyrule Warriors Legends” will be released on March 25. It is a re-release of the Wii U game, “Hyrule Warriors” for the Nintendo 3DS. It has all of the content of the Wii U game, plus five new playable characters: Tetra, the King of Hyrule and Toon Link from “The Wind Waker,” the Skull Kid from “Majora’s Mask” and Linkle, a original character who believes she is the current incarnation of the hero. The game will be able to connect to the Wii U version to unlock the new characters in the original game.

While no attention has been given to it so far, “Sonic the Hedgehog” will also celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. No official announcements of any celebrations have been made, but at least two games are scheduled for release. “Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice” is due out sometime this year for the 3DS. Meanwhile, “Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games” will be released on Nintendo 3DS on March 18th in North America, April 8 in Europe and April 9 in Austrailia and on Wii U later this year before the actual Olympics start.

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam review: Great on paper and in execution

Posted on by astyahla

System: Nintendo 3DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Number of Players: 1

ESRB: E

Mario is best known as a platforming star, but he has also had some excellent RPGs as well. With two ongoing RPG series, “Paper Mario,” which is largely on consoles, and “Mario and Luigi” which is exclusive to handhelds. Both series are well known for comedy, so it seems like the two would go well together. Such a crossover is the premise behind “Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam.”

What started as a cleaning day at Peach’s Castle turns into another adventure for the Mario Bros. when Luigi knocks over the book containing the Paper Mushroom Kingdom, causing many of its citizens to spill out into the world. However, this also includes Paper Bowser, who after initially butting heads with Bowser, teams up with his flesh and blood counterpart to kidnap their respective Princess Peaches and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Fortunately, there is not two, but three heroic plumbers to stop them, as Paper Mario joins Mario and Luigi on their adventure.

Despite the crossover, the game is primarily a Mario and Luigi title, with each brother takes action with a different button. This time a lot of the team up moves require you to hit the “A” “B and “Y” buttons in quick succession. This includes burrowing into the ground, folding Paper Mario into an airplane to cross wide gaps or hammering something with enough force to break solid rock. Fortunately, jumping gaps does not require this input, as you can have all three brothers jump at the same time with the “X” button, which also allows you to charge up a dash.

The battle system is very similar to “Mario and Luigi: Dream Team.” Mario and Luigi play out as they do in “Dream Team’s” real world, but have some new Bros. Moves, which are special moves that have the two team up. Paper Mario has much less health and weaker defenses than the other two, but makes up for it with the ability to make copies of himself which can take damage for him. As long as at least one copy remains, his health will never go down. The more copies you have, the more damage Paper Mario will be able to do, by being able to jump on the enemy more times in succession or hammer more enemies at once.

In addition, Paper Mario can trigger Trio Attacks that can do more damage, but the more powerful ones have more of a learning curve than the stronger Bros. Attacks do. Notably, more of the Trio Attacks have a chance of missing altogether than the Bros. Attacks do.

Despite this, the battles feel a lot easier than those in “Dream Team.” When enemies attack, a crosshair appears at the feet of the character being targeted, requiring you to jump or use the hammer to defend against them as usual. While this does help indicate who is gong to be attacked, it is still plenty difficult to dodge attacks consistently.

The game also introduces Battle Cards. Every turn, you draw a card from your customizable 10-card deck. To play a card you need a certain amount of Star Points, which are generated by successful attacks. Each card has a different effect, each of which is activated without using a turn. All of this adds an additional layer to combat.

However, one recurring problem purists from past games in the “Mario and Luigi” series is that it is easy to get pinned down once Mario or Luigi goes down. When one of them is knocked out, the other runs over to protect him from further harm. Due to carrying him unconscious brother on his back, defensive maneuvers take longer to execute, making it that much more likely the other brother will be taken out as well. Paper Mario on the other hand never does so, so he his always freed up to dodge to the full extent of his abilities. Fortunately, the new Double 1-Up Mushrooms revive two brothers at at the same time getting them back in the fight. But like standard 1-Up Mushrooms, the restore a pitiful amount of health so the brothers can easily be knocked out again. It does not help that bosses tend to take several turns in a row when they run low on health.

Meanwhile, the game offers new Papercraft Battles, which replace the giant battles of past games. The papercrafts involved are essentially giant robots that you have to charge at to knock over, than have the Toads carrying the papercraft throw it at the fallen enemies to finish them off. The developers keep offering new aspects to the battles which keep them from getting old. There are five of them, so they never feel like they overstay their welcome.

While the story is predictable, there is a lot of amusement to be seen in the interactions between the characters and their paper counterparts. For example, Bowser and Paper Bowser may work together, but it is clear they barely tolerate each other. Bowser Jr. and Paper Bowser Jr. on the other hand become the best of friends. The humor in the game is still intact, with some very amusing writing. The two series even combine to completely decimate the fourth wall, as everyone knows how the usual Mario story goes and points out every plot point. While the lack of new characters is disappointing, the writers did a great job fleshing out the personalities of previously flat characters such as the Koopalings or Toadette. This part is the highlight of the game as it helps show the characters as a new light.

However, a few things keep the game from being the excellent crossover I was hoping for. The game world feels smaller than any of the previous “Mario and Luigi” or “Paper Mario” games. As a result, there is too much backtracking involved. In addition, the game forces you to take on quests to advance the plot, especially ones that require you to rescue Paper Toads. A lot of them are arbitrary and clearly were in there just to make the game longer. For example, one quest requires you to get to a certain point with in a time limit, but the game throws you in to scripted battles that you are not allowed to run from. The timer does not stop during battle either. Worse, a lot of the battles are against weaker enemies. If a far more powerful shiny paper enemy is randomly inserted into the group, you will fail the quest. These frequently cause all progress to grind to a halt.

Despite these faults, “Paper Jam” is a great game. It just is not the phenomenal crossover that I had anticipated.

Score 8.5/10

Review: Pokemon Picross

Posted on by astyahla

System: 3DS

ESRB: E

Players: 1

This was my first time playing Picross. This puzzle game involves using clues to find out which squares on a grid to fill in to reveal a picture. Said clues are numbers on the left side of each row and the top of each column. Each number shows how many consecutive squares need to be filled in before leaving a gap at least one square long.

This gameplay has been in place ever since “Mario’s Picross” was released for the Game Boy. The latest game in the series “Pokemon Picross” uses similar gameplay, but all of the picture subjects are Pokemon. While the gameplay is sound and easy to get addicted to (the sign of a successful puzzle game), the game does not lend itself well to a free-to-start structure.

The puzzles start out simple enough with 10×10 grids. For those looking for more of a challenge, the game also offers larger grids such as 15×10. This size of grid is usually reserved for legendary Pokemon or otherwise stronger specimens. No matter what, the game stayed challenging without feeling unfair. While there are times where you have several viable moves and it is hard to choose which one you should take, that “a-ha” moment where you make a breakthrough and get on a roll is always satisfying.

What makes “Pokemon Picross” different is that once you solve a puzzle for the first time, you can add that Pokemon to your party to add abilities to help you out with the puzzle. For example, you can see which rows and columns you can definitely make a move on, reveal the squares in a specific area, or add a a temporary auto-correct to the puzzle. While none of these on their own are game breakers, they help nudge you in the right direction. Unfortunately, you can only use Pokemon if they are the same size as the grid for the puzzle you are solving. It is too easy to become reliant on their abilities and then be unable to use them due to such an arbitrary requirement. Also you need to wait a long time before you can use some abilities again.

One of the biggest things that holds the game back is its free-to-start structure. You only have a limited amount of energy available and it depletes every time you fill in a square. If you are not paying attention, you can find yourself out of moves when you are on a roll and be forced to end your play session and wait about an hour to get that energy back. While you can use in-game currency known as Picrites to instantly recharge, the game gives them to you for free at a glacial pace. To make matters worse, you need to spend Picrites to unlock new areas of the game, increase your maximum energy, instantly make abilities usable again and unlock more slots in your party. The fact that the puzzles are not randomized does not help, so unless you are willing to purchase more Picrites using real money, you are forced to replay puzzles to complete more challenges and earn achievements, or do rudimentary daily training puzzles. In other words, you will hit a wall eventually.

Fortunately, there is a spending limit to keep you from buying more than a total of 5000 Picrites, after which free Picrites will be given to you at a much faster pace. This will take about $30 dollars, which is about the price of a full 3DS game, so it does not feel like an eternal money sink. In addition, the final energy upgrade gives you unlimited energy, making mistakes less costly.

Overall, “Pokemon Picross” is a solid puzzle game that is ultimately ill suited to a free-to-start format. Once you get past the paywall, you will have fun with these brainteasers.

Score 7/10