Why I might get Pokemon Art Academy

Nintendo of America has confirmed that a Pokemon-inspired entry in the Art Academy series, aptly named Pokemon Art Academy, will be coming Stateside this Fall. As you'd expect, the game will teach you how to draw Pokemon.

Learn how to draw your favorite @Pokemon in #Pokemon Art Academy, launching this fall on #3DS and #2DS. pic.twitter.com/DqgZyc7Qes

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 12, 2014

Why might a 20-something girl like me want to get Pokemon Art Academy? Especially since I am not an artist in any sense of the word? Well, I sure wanted to be an artist when I was younger (what kid doesn't?), and Pokemon were a major source of "inspiration" for me. I consider a Machop I once drew to be my best artistic creation, though I have no idea what ever happened to that.

So it would be a lot of fun for me to relive my childhood fantasies. Whether I ultimately get Pokemon Art Academy depends largely on the game's price. If it's outrageous for some reason, that's a likely no from me. What are your thoughts?

New trailer and details revealed for Mario Kart 8

Nintendo has released a new trailer for Mario Kart 8, along with the floodgates for journalists' previews. Here's a quick list of what to expect from the new entry in Nintendo's main racing franchise:

• NEW ITEM: Piranha Plant This item's inspiration clearly comes from Super Mario 3D World, in which players could sometimes pick up a pot with a Piranha Plant in it and watch as its gaping maw jerked forth to munch whatever it could reach, enemies and friends alike. The item will work similarly in Mario Kart 8, with every jerk giving the player a speed boost. Seems like a 7th to 12th place item to me.
• NEW ITEM: Boomerang This one also has a history, one that began with Super Mario 3D Land, which introduced the boomerang power-up that allowed players to, you guessed it, throw some boomerangs around! And again, this is much the function it will have in Mario Kart 8. The player who receives the item will be able to throw it 3 times, backwards or forwards, and watch as it slips other racers up as it goes and comes. 
• RETURNING ITEM: Coins At first, I thought this must be a new item, but apparently it's a returning item from Super Mario Kart, the series' very first entry. Picking coins up off the track will be familiar to anyone who has played Mario Kart 7 on the Nintendo 3DS, but now an item box may grant you a couple of coins as well. Coins give small speed boosts, but the most important thing about them is to collect them: once a player has reached the maximum number of coins, they also reach the maximum speed for their chosen kart (10 is the max in MK7, probably in MK8 too).
• 12-Player Online Races Mario Kart 8 will feature online races that support up to 12 players. Yay!
• Anit-gravity Sections Ever since the anti-gravity idea was introduced in a trailer who knows how long ago, I've been slightly skeptical of the idea. Now that things have been cleared up, I couldn't be more excited to try anti-gravity myself when Mario Kart 8 comes out: the effect causes racers to get speed boosts when they bump into each other or certain elements on the track. It also looks like anti-gravity will allow for some seriously awesome track designs. 
• GamePad Features The GamePad will include a little horn that players can sound at the touch of a button, plus players can touch tiles on the screen to activate other modes: one tile activates off-TV mode, another displays a map on the touch screen, and the last one activates motion control. This implementation is not half bad, but it certainly could have been better.

And those are the highlights! Check out Nintendo's latest trailer for Mario Kart 8 below:

Thoughts on horror games and Cult County by Renegade Kid

You learn something new every day: today I learned that Renegade Kid, an independent game development studio, was responsible for two critically successful horror games on the Nintendo DS: Dementium: The Ward and Dementium II. I knew of those games, but I didn't connect the studio responsible for Mutant Mudds with them. If you want, check out my shining review for Mutant Mudds on the 3DS right here. It's not even a remotely horrific game, unless a high level of difficulty is horrific for you (it borders on horrific for me).

Renegade Kid recently launched a Kickstarter campaign aimed at funding a new survival horror game, Cult County, for a slew of home systems, including the Wii U. I have backed the project because I want to see as great a variety of games as possible release for the Wii U. In truth, however, I won't be playing the final product.

Have you ever noticed that I don't play or talk about horror games much here on my blog? Maybe not, but it's true: I simply don't play them. The most horrifying games I've ever played are Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Fans of the horror genre probably don't consider Metroid to be scary at all, just atmospheric. But I can't handle much more. I'll happily play just about any other genre of video game. I just hope you can forgive me for that, and realize that everyone has a genre they avoid or won't even touch! Now you know mine. What's yours?

Kickstarter project 'NES' seeks to jazz up classic Nintendo tunes

Kickstarter, a site where just about any type of project can seek to be "crowd funded," seemed to come out of nowhere, for me anyway. It has, however, become an integral part of gaming culture, as many indie developers have successfully funded their games through the service. Through all of this, I haven't actively participated on Kickstarter...until now, that is.

I have now backed a whopping two projects on Kickstarter! The second, and most recent, is 'NES' by Richie Palys, an ambitious and promising musical tribute to NES games. According to the project's Kickstarter page, "The album is going to be in the genre of jazz with a heavy emphasis on synth and production." Palys promises it'll be an enticing mix of jazz and the retro 8-bit sounds we all recognize and love.

It'll be a real loss to the Nintendo fanbase if this project fails to come to fruition, so click on over and pledge your support now!

Nintendo Wishlist Vol. 1 - Simian Dreams

Welcome to the first edition of Nintendo Wishlist!

As big a Nintendo fan as I am, I still wish for certain things from the company, particularly at this controversial time. This is not your typical wishlist: most wishlists are filled with things that are already available and desired by the wishlist's creator. This is a wishlist of things I wish Nintendo would do, games I wish it would announce, and so on.

In my first Nintendo Wishlist, I feel I'm asking for a few things that should be well within Nintendo's ability to deliver. Let's take a look, shall we:

• Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3 announced, and then released as soon as possible, for the Wii U virtual console

When I transferred data from my Wii to my Wii U, I had to redownload all of my numerous virtual console and WiiWare games. It wasn't too much of a hassle: virtual console games in particular took very little time to redownload. However, probably a week later, I went to play Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, only to find that it wasn't there. I thought maybe I missed it as I went through the list of games to redownload. Regrettably, that was not the case. The Donkey Kong Country games are no longer available on the Wii Shop Channel. Therefore, the games (which I did pay for, Nintendo, thank you very much) are no longer available for me to play.

Releasing the Donkey Kong Country games on the Wii U eShop would allow me to purchase them at a discount ($1.50) and make them playable in GamePad-only mode. It might also just make me want to forgive Nintendo for this grievous error. But the likelihood of that happening dwindles by the day. This will probably be a sore spot in my relationship with Nintendo for the rest of my life. 

Pokemon Battle Trozei - A Miiverse journey

I haven't always played puzzle games, but when I finally delved into the genre (I thank Pushmo and Tetris) I loved it.

I have always played Pokemon games, so it stands to reason that I would enjoy the recently released eShop title Pokemon Battle Trozei for Nintendo 3DS. In the touch-based game, the player must line up 3 or more of the same Pokemon head on the bottom screen to clear them. Matching 4, then 3, of the same head unleashes a "Trozei Chance," during which matching just 2 or more Pokemon heads will suffice, so as the heads above fall down to the playing field, the player can rapidly make matches to pull off major combos that may just lead to clearing the whole Trozei box. The type of Pokemon the player matches first will be the type of attack unleashed on wild Pokemon, and the objective is to catch, or Trozei, the Pokemon in each stage by depleting their health to zero. The wild Pokemon can attack back, however, so the player must also keep an eye on his/her health bar, displayed on the sides of the bottom screen.

As you can see, there is a lot to Pokemon Battle Trozei. And as I've mentioned before, it was very difficult for me to get the hang of it. With time and practice, however, I have come to really enjoy the game. It wasn't an easy road to walk, though:

Initially, I was very discouraged. A C-rank on the first level?!

If I did any better on attempt 2, there would be "NEW!" signs next to my scores.

I finally got a B-rank on level 1! I was still not enjoying the game much, however...

As you can see, the health bar on both sides of the screen is hugely depleted.

I commented on the same Miiverse post. My first A-rank!

The next level...

The tips really did help me a lot!

I finally learned how to apply support Pokemon to a level, but I still had a hard time surpassing my old level 1 record...

Pokemon Battle Trozei is out now on the Nintendo 3DS eShop

On February 13, 2014, Nintendo surprised us with the announcement of a sequel to 2006's DS title Pokemon Trozei. The new game would release for the Nintendo 3DS with the title Pokemon Battle Trozei.

Well, the game has arrived, and you can now download the E-rated title from the Nintendo 3DS eShop for $7.99. I've put a little bit of time into the game, and my thoughts are mixed. I never played the original, so I had a lot to learn about the fast-paced puzzle gameplay when I began. As I mentioned on Miiverse, I'm having a difficult time grasping the gameplay. I played the first stage 3 times over, only achieving a mediocre B-rank (for the first stage, that's probably pretty sorry) by the end.

I'm not an expert on the puzzle genre, by any means, but I do expect games in the genre to be simple to learn (but with depth) and really addictive. Pokemon Battle Trozei has a simple enough concept: use the touch screen to match 3 or more Pokemon heads to attack and capture (or "Trozei") wild Pokemon. However, performing advanced techniques and setting up combos has me at a complete loss. When you clear a line of Pokemon, the rest start falling down to fill in the spaces, and more lines may match up. This is how combos work, but I can't predict them, and they happen so quick, my brain can't keep up with the madness.

So the addictive quality I look for in puzzle games is not apparent in Battle Trozei. However, I do plan on giving the game a few more chances...just in small chunks, maybe once a day, as it's rather maddening to play a video game I can't fully understand.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong, thoughts on a series and a possible Wii U release

When I started this blog in 2011, I hadn't experienced the number of gaming franchises I've got under my belt now, 3 years later. In those 3 years, I played games in the Kirby, Star Fox, Metroid, Ace Attorney, and Professor Layton series I hardly knew existed prior to 2011.

Even so, there are still many franchises I have little to no experience with. One of those is the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. The first game in the series was Mario vs. Donkey Kong on the GameBoy Advance. The game was a sort of spiritual successor to Donkey Kong, Shigeru Miyamoto's classic arcade game that introduced both Mario (known as Jumpman at the time) and Donkey Kong to the world. Mario vs. Donkey Kong revived the rivalry between the two iconic characters, this time in a puzzle-platforming game.

I have a solid understanding up to that point, but as far as the game's sequels go, my knowledge falters mightily. I'm sure there were at least two sequels to the game, but I'm not sure what systems they were released on or what they're called. I played the original, thanks to the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program, but my time with it was very limited: I basically skimmed through it, just as I skimmed through most of the Ambassador games, and now I don't even own my Ambassador system.

As a gamer, properties that I have or have not played crop up all the time for various reasons, prompting me to wonder about past and future games alike. A Mario vs. Donkey Kong Wii U demo was recently playable on the show floor at this year's Game Developers Conference. The sole purpose of the demo was to show off Nintendo Web Framework, a Wii U development tool for eShop developers. The demo does not harken an official announcement of a full game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, but it suggests the possibility of such.

 Check out some of the gameplay footage right here.

Given my history, I can't get overly excited about a possible Wii U entry in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong franchise. But what does it mean to you?

Diddy Kong confirmed for Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS in time for Tropical Freeze release

Donkey Kong's certainly pleased to be joined by Diddy.

I know Diddy Kong in Super Smash Bros. Brawl had at least one fan: my brother. Undoubtedly, there are many other Diddy fans out there. I'm talking to you when I say, "Diddy Kong is returning to the fray!" The adorable simian has been confirmed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 via the usual Miiverse screenshot of the day from Sakurai, the games' director.

Strangely, this announcement was made at the exact moment Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze released for Wii U. I'm kidding about the "strangely" part, obviously. It's not strange at all, though I didn't even think to predict it myself. Did anyone out there make the guess before it came true? Leave an answer in the comments below. Also, feel free to leave any other thoughts you may have concerning Tropical Freeze itself or Diddy Kong's return to Smash Bros.

Spend 500 Club Nintendo coins on two Animal Crossing: New Leaf posters! ...Wait, what?

Club Nintendo in America has added a new reward: the Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2-Poster Set. The first poster is a nice shot of townsfolk every Animal Crossing player is familiar with (Isabelle, Tom Nook, and the like). The second poster features every single animal the game has to offer as ordinary citizens. That's all the explaining I can do: those who are familiar with the series know exactly what I mean.

The new reward is going for a whopping 500 coins. This baffles me, as past poster sets have included 3 posters and been redeemable for just 400 coins. I keep expecting Club Nintendo to get its act together and start offering decent items at decent prices, but the program keeps on sinking. What types of rewards would you like to see more of?

Super Indie Connection Sale on the Wii U eShop

A really fantastic sale has now ended is currently taking place in the Wii U eShop. Dubbed the "Super Indie Connection Sale," it allows you to buy or own one of five indie titles to qualify for 60% off all the rest. The games involved are:

• Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party
• Mighty Switch Force! Hyperdrive Edition
• Toki Tori 2+
• Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
• Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

 The sale lasts until February 13th, so get a move on!

I was fortunate enough to already own Mighty Switch Force! Hyperdrive Edition when the sale began a few days ago. I immediately used some of my spare eShop funds to purchase Toki Tori 2+, after which I added 5 dollars from the Deluxe Digital Promotion and used it to download Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. Over the next few days, I'll make a few impressions posts to help you decide whether this promotion is for you. It should be, I can tell you that right now.

Why getting through the bad in The Wonderful 101 is worth the good: A Wii U Review

After finally finishing The Wonderful 101 on Wii U, I can only describe the game as an emotional ride. Not necessarily in terms of story, but in terms of gameplay highs and lows. You've probably read it a million times now, but the game's bad moments are really bad. Potentially game-breakingly bad. But then the good is just so good. Good enough to save the game? Read on to find out.

The Wonderful 101 is an action game that puts you in the many pairs of shoes that make up a group of alien-smashing super heroes collectively known as The Wonderful 100 (preferably pronounced as "The Wonderful One Double-O"). Chief among the large cast of characters is Wonder-Red, a new, but gifted, recruit to the team. Joining him as minor characters are Wonder-Blue, Wonder-Green, Wonder-Pink, Wonder-Yellow, Wonder-White, and Wonder-Black. Each of these characters comes with his/her own weapon specialty, which brings us to "Uniiiiite MORPH!"

Using the GamePad's touchscreen or R-stick, the player must draw simple lines and shapes to morph the team into weapons capable of devastating the evil alien forces invading earth. Like I mentioned above, each of the main team members has a weapon specialty: Wonder-Red wields a giant fist that, despite its limited range, packs a lot of power. Wonder-Blue uses his valiantium blade to cut down large groups of foes. Wonder-Green's gun is effective on air-born or distant foes. Other morphs similarly have strengths and weaknesses in and outside of battle and include Wonder-Pink's whip, Wonder-Yellow's hammer, Wonder-White's claws, and Wonder-Black's time-slowing bomb.

All that said, it's clear that the potential's there in The Wonderful 101. In ordinary combat with ordinary enemies, that potential is met. In addition to scoring big combo points by using multiple unite morphs effectively, combat is enhanced by additional tricks like using unite guts to ricochet or block enemy attacks. Using your full arsenal of abilities to bring the hurt to the invaders' forces is highly satisfying.

On the other hand, the various boss fights scattered throughout the game are often repetitious, frustrating, and unbalanced. Repetitious because you'll find yourself stuck in a bland routine involving just one or two unite morphs until the boss finally goes down. Frustrating because you may die for no apparent reason or spend a large amount of time trying to figure out what's even going on. And unbalanced because it often seems as though Wonder-Green's gun is the only way to inflict damage.

Similarly, gameplay outside of the combat is often so frustrating and broken, you'll find yourself wondering if any thought was put into it. The environments are riddled with inconsistencies and the platforming elements are weak, to put it kindly.

As soon as you're done struggling through a throw-your-GamePad-at-the-wall segment, however, the game will instantly turn around to offer some awe-inspiring cutscene or fighting segment that may just cause a complete turnaround in your perception of the game. The storyline is suitably epic and surprisingly zany and self-aware, with a colorful cast of characters (pun totally intended) who's interactions will have you grinning from ear to ear. The soundtrack is also a highlight, adding to the game's energetic presentation and cinematic feel.

Conclusion
The Wonderful 101 has so much potential. It doesn't even nearly reach that potential, due to some terribly low lows. However, its highs make up the difference enough to justify a playthrough of this game. Some seriously good moments in storyline and gameplay will make you glad you took the effort. Overall, the game will leave you with a lasting impression that I doubt any other game could emulate.

7.0/10 

Is it true? Nintendo Lifeline is back?!

This is probably going to come as a shock to everyone, including the people I'm closest to: the Nintendo Lifeline is back!

I started this blog on March 15, 2011. I was getting pumped for the release of the Nintendo 3DS at the time, and in addition to being a combination of writing and Nintendo (two of my favorite things), this project qualified for an assignment in the Mass Communications class I was in during early 2011.

I learned some of the tricks of the blogging trade and immersed myself in the Nintendo-centric neighborhood of the blogosphere, both of which helped me to grow from loving a select few Nintendo franchises (Zelda and Mario, basically) to embracing a wider spectrum of genres. I introduced myself to the Metroid series, discovered unusual titles like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Professor Layton, and was reacquainted with the likes of Kirby and Star Fox.

I love being a Nintendo gamer and blogger, and I look forward to sharing that love again here on the Nintendo Lifeline.

Video game-inspired dreams

Believe it or not, a dream I had last night prompted this post. Who would have guessed!

Much of my thought lately has been engaged with Pushmo, because the excitement surrounding Crashmo's imminent release is too much to bear without the comfort of playing its predecessor. Dreams are mysterious things, but I find that anything on my mind, big or small, may find its way into mine. Last night, I dreamed that I was playing the level-1 challenges in Pushmo, and somehow I got to the end without having saved all the children! I got this horrible feeling. How could I miss any of the children in the easiest set of puzzles? When I woke and saw my Nintendo 3DS on the desk, I still had the aching feeling that my Pushmo skills really weren't up to par. Not true, of course, and reality soon caught up to me.

A second Nintendo related dream I had involved The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Before the game came out, I gave it plenty of dream-worthy thought. I read in an issue of Nintendo Power that the game began on Skyloft, with Link training to become a knight. That got me all kinds of excited for some reason. I dreamed of Skyward Sword before it ever released, and it was a sweet dream. The game would literally be a dream come true for me when it finally hit store shelves in November last year.

Ever had any video game-inspired dreams of your own? I would love to hear about 'em!

For rhythm-lovers it is, indeed, heaven - A Review of Rhythm Heaven

Before diving into my review of Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS, I would just like to remind you that I reviewed the Wii sequel, Rhythm Heaven Fever, first. Being out of order and all, I will try to separate the two games in my mind to give the DS original its just rewards.

Rhythm Heaven is an E-rated rhythm game for the Nintendo DS system. It's controlled almost entirely on the touch screen, with the player holding the DS in the sideways "book" position. Righties and lefties are both welcome! The player completes a series of rhythm-based mini games by tapping, sliding, and flicking the stylus on the touch screen.

Visually, Rhythm Heaven is a real treat. The graphics are decidedly cartoony, but each mini game differs from the others in some small way. The hardware of the Nintendo DS is beginning to show its age at this point, but Rhythm Heaven's graphical appeal is hard to deny even now.

The music in Rhythm Heaven is admittedly a mixed bag. The songs are, more often than not, quite forgettable. And the handful of vocal performances within the bunch are shoddy at best. However, there are a couple of standouts in the soundtrack. The "Built to Scale" and "Rhythm Rally" tunes are two such examples.

Though the music itself isn't perfect by any means, it does serve to create some really great rhythmic gameplay. Like I mentioned before, tapping, sliding, and flicking the stylus on the touch screen comprise the majority of control in Rhythm Heaven. It may seem like a simple control scheme, but it lends itself to a rhythmic precision that I find very appealing. If there is anything to complain about control-wise, it's that the force needed to complete successful flicking in this game can be quite taxing on a touch screen.

Rhythm Heaven is a challenging, but rewarding, game. Medals earned by acquiring Superb scores go toward unlockables like rhythm toys and endless games, which are fairly satisfying diversions. Perfect scores earn reading materials and music tracks, both of which can be accessed through the Cafe, where players are meant to go to relax and take a breather from the main game. Overall, Rhythm Heaven is a surprisingly deep game, especially considering you can nab a copy for very cheap nowadays.

I don't typically mention sound effects in my reviews, but it would be hard to slide by without noting those in Rhythm Heaven. Often, the game's strange and quirky sound effects are there to help the player get into the rhythm's flow, but they turn out to be integral elements to the game's overall charm. The dancing amphibians in "Frog Hop" and the voice in "Lockstep" are two particularly memorable examples.

Conclusion
You would have to be really picky to not find something good in Rhythm Heaven. For fans of the music genre, it's got intelligent, precise rhythms to master. For those just looking to add another great game to their DS collection for cheap, Rhythm Heaven is a steal. Its charm and gameplay alone merit a purchase.

Strange and unusual gaming habits

For as long as I can remember, I have played every side scrolling Mario game with the tip of my thumb constantly pressing down the "Y" button (or the "1" button). Those of you who consider yourself to be good at Mario know why this is. Because constantly dashing is the only way to be good at Mario!

So when I play a side scrolling platform game that isn't Mario, you can understand why I still press that "Y" or "1" button, even when it has no effect on that particular title's gameplay. I've done this in basically every Kirby game I've ever played. And, most recently, I've done it while playing Rayman Origins for Wii. These games actually have their own method of dashing. In Kirby games, a double tap of the d-pad in the desired direction typically triggers the dash. The "B" button on the back of the Wii remote is the dashing method for Rayman Origins on Wii.

Another strange and unusual gaming habit I have is scrolling past Kaepora Gaebora's dialogue in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Or wait....is that something everyone does? By the way, Kaepora Gaebora is the owl. That obnoxious, long winded owl!

Putting my Wii remote wrist strap on might also be a strange and unusual habit. I don't even have to think about it, but I've noticed that very few other people think to put it on.

What strange and unusual gaming habits do you have? Is it strange and unusual to scroll past Kaebora Gaebora's dialogue, or is that something everyone does?

Are you gnome enough? A review of 2 Fast 4 Gnomz (Nintendo eShop)

Watch the trailer here!

The kingdom of Gnomia needs a hero! A hero who can find a princess and collect as many socks as possible on the way!

Such is the very basic storyline of upcoming Nintendo 3DS download 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, an action platformer from developer QubicGames. Or perhaps a more apt description of the game would be running platformer. For those of you who've played WiiWare title Bit.Trip Runner, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz is very much in the same high-speed vein.

In 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, you'll traverse more than four worlds with several platforming levels apiece. Because our intrepid gnome is in constant motion throughout each level, it's up to you to use a slew of abilities to avoid obstacles. These abilities include jumping, gliding, crushing stuff, and more. An impressive array of environmental elements will put your all of your skills to the test, and when the challenge gets steep, finding the right flow can feel very rewarding.

Speaking of challenge, the game's difficulty curve hits a pretty good balance. Each world introduces you to a new ability, giving you ample opportunity to get a feel for it in the first level or two. By the time you've reached the final level, however, you've been challenged with not only the newest skill, but all of the previous skills as well. Thankfully, frequent checkpoints keep the game from being overly frustrating.

The graphical style of 2 Fast 4 Gnomz is appropriately cartoony, if a bit generic. I was glad of the visual variety amongst the four main worlds, which are based upon the four seasons. It's just unfortunate that they don't add anything gameplay-wise, like ice in the winter levels or piles of leaves in the autumn levels.Though I'm not a huge fan of stereoscopic 3-D in general, the game pulls it off well. Like I mentioned above, the story is minimalistic, but fairly entertaining. The game certainly has a strange charm to it, which I like.

If there's anything I would add to 2 Fast 4 Gnomz, it would be, well, more game! I enjoyed what the game had to offer, but I found myself wanting more. For example, there are no boss battles to speak of. And I had the entire thing beat in less than a few short hours. For $4.99, I would expect a little more bang for my buck. But if you're itching for a reflex-driven, running platformer, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz might be just the game you've been craving. It arrives for North American gamers on November 1st.

Donkey Kong Country Returns, but it's not as welcome as I had hoped - A Review

Back in the SNES days, the three Donkey Kong Country games were pure gold. If there is a gamer out there from that generation who somehow missed out on all of them, I am frankly shocked. Even many of my non-gamer friends can relate dear childhood memories stemming from one or more of the original Donkey Kong Country games.

Fast-forward to E3 2010, when Donkey Kong Country Returns was announced for Wii. I would bet I wasn't the only gamer who became ecstatic over the shiny trailer Nintendo had prepared. However, after finally beating the game, I must say it failed to deliver in more than one way. Read on to find out why.

Donkey Kong Country Returns adopts the simple Wii remote-turned-sideways control scheme that has come to be easily recognized in the Wii's rather extensive library of platform game revivals. As fans of the genre have come to expect, this works just fine, even in the more challenging levels of DKCR.

What I'm not so happy with are the levels themselves. Platforming is a precise art. However, it feels clumsy and imprecise in DKCR due to an abundance of uncertain jumps and a sluggish feel to Donkey Kong's movement. A feeling of inconsistency persists throughout. I admire and praise the fact that each of the game's levels offers something different than the last. But in this way, the game often throws unpredictable and unfair obstacles into the player's face, causing many levels to be an exercise in frustration. Where vine-swinging, barrel-hopping, and mine cart-riding were all extremely fun in the original Donkey Kong Country, the charm has disappeared in Returns.

Speaking of charm, the music in Returns doesn't capture the trait nearly as well as its SNES counterparts. With so much inspiration readily available, one has to wonder how the music in Returns falls so flat.

The worlds in DKCR are pretty generic, particularly the last one. I compare the worlds in Returns to the worlds in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, which I see as being the golden standard in geographic variety. Part of the Donky Kong Country charm comes from the offbeat and often outlandish worlds, like the carnival, haunted, and beehive settings in DKC2. I think Returns missed the mark in that regard.

Though I don't put much weight on a game's visuals, I have to admit I was very impressed with the graphics in DKCR. My admiration only goes so far, however: unnecessary clutter on the game screen often detracts from gameplay in DKCR. While playing, I was frequently left puzzling over where safe platforms were or why I just fell into that bottomless pit because it didn't have the safe platform it seemed to.

There was a definite charm to the short little cut scenes scattered about in DKCR. That's about the only redeeming quality I could pick out in the whole experience. And, as you may have already guessed, it wasn't enough to fully redeem the game.

Conclusion
After devoting so much time to Donkey Kong Country Returns, I wondered whether the original DKC games were actually as good as I seemed to recall. Imagine my surprise when I played the original and it was actually fun! On the surface, DKCR has everything that the original has: vines, mine carts, rhinos, barrels, and the like. What it lacks, on the other hand, is the same spirit and charm. The platforming gameplay, the music, and the settings all drag this game down to what I would call mediocrity, to be perfectly frank.

Are boys better gamers than girls?

I'll just tell you what I think right off the bat: boys are generally better at video games than girls. I've seen it time and time again.

I am a girl, and I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. Super Mario World was my sustenance growing up. I beat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the first time at a young age, and I have since beaten it countless other times. I played all three Super Smash Bros. games in an abundance during their respective times. And I'm not gonna lie: I work my butt off to be as good at games as I can be.

Why then does my younger brother often trump my own Super Smash Bros. Brawl skills when he doesn't take video games nearly as serious as me? Why also can he beat me at Metroid Prime 2 multiplayer when I've got several hours on him from playing single player?

I have decided that boys are more aggressive than girls, and that's why they tend to have more natural skill in gaming. Many games are reflex- and instinct-driven, and boys just surpass girls in that area, plain and simple. However, there are certain kinds of games that I think us girls have an advantage in. I'm talkin' puzzle games! Girls tend to have more patience than guys, and that suits them to games with a slower pace. And I can't forget to mention dance games. Girls are definitely better dancers than guys...or at least more willing to dance!

Obviously, these are just generalizations. Even though I'm a girl, I love to play all types of games. And if you are a boy who's unafraid to break out the mad skills with Just Dance, great! What I'm saying is that boys are typically more naturally gifted at video games. What are your thoughts?

StreetPass: Changing Perspectives

The Nintendo 3DS system was released on March 27, 2011. I got my system on April 1, 2011, and I'm not even fooling you. Ahem...anyway! I've been seeking StreetPass encounters ever since. My very first tag was arranged, so it felt pretty cheap. You could say my first genuine tag was a few weeks later when I went to the local Taco Time and came home with that green light on!

Up until the end of August this year, StreetPass tags were rare and special occasions for me. Then I moved to a significantly bigger town with a significantly larger college campus than I previously attended. Talk about culture shock! Most of the changes seemed awful to me, but one change did not: increased probability for StreetPass tags! I mean, they actually happen in big places? And not only that, but they happen often in big places?! Now I can expect StreetPass tags almost daily, and there are even a couple of regulars that I've tagged more than once.

How have your perspectives changed (or stayed the same) on StreetPass?