I'm sure you've heard the news by now, so I'm not going to be repeating anything unless it needs to be repeated. If you haven't heard the news by now, here's the link to all the info you need.
I'd like to start with a little bit of math! Don't worry, I'll try to keep it clean. So the price of the Nintendo 3DS system dropped from 250 bucks to 170 bucks. That's a difference of 80 bucks (an unprecedented drop in just four months time). What are Nintendo's plans to appease early adopters (or what they have deemed Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors)? Well, you start with 10 free downloadable NES virtual console games worth five bucks apiece. Okay, that's $50. But I'd like to tie in the value of receiving them earlier than the general public: priceless. Next, early N3DS buyers will have the opportunity to download 10 more free games later this year. These will be Gameboy Advance (GBA) game downloads that Nintendo has no plans to release to the general public at all. I bought a used copy of Metroid Fusion for about $15. Even if we choose to value each GBA game at 10 bucks apiece, the value is a whopping $100. A $150 value altogether? Not bad.
I was quite upset after hearing about the price drop of the N3DS, but Ambassadors will be well-compensated, make no mistake. Have a sensational weekend!
I got to say I love this game! It's very exciting! Well if you haven't heard about it then you must be thinking, "Oh okay it's just another Super Mario game where you go through the levels. Than you get to each ending guy and blah blah blah same thing!" Now I'm not saying that doing the same old thing is bad, I mean it's Super Mario for petes sake! Although doing the same thing can be fun, sometimes doing something different is even better. This game, my friend, is definitely something different!
You see instead of having level after level of pure awesomeness, this game is in fact a true RPG. There are more than three boxes of dialog, (that mind you, in the original games only come after you've defeated an ending guy, and usually ended with "But the princess is in another castle!"), and instead of killing people by jumping on them, you actually get in a battle with them! I'm talking the kind of battles where you can strategize and such wonderful things! Now I have your attention don't I?
So this game starts off with such an 'original' beginning. Peach gets kidnapped. Wow, didn't see that one coming. Of course I'm just joking around. I mean it wouldn't be a real Mario game unless Peach did get kidnapped! The one who does the deed is, of course, Bowser! Personally he's always been my favorite in all the games! He's just too helpless! I mean even in this game he isn't the all mighty and powerful ending guy! That title goes to . . . well let us not spoil that little tid bit of information shall we?
Anyways! Well Mario goes off to save Peach, and guess what? He does! Not too far into the game you save Peach! She joins your party along with a certain bad guy. Bowser shows his sensitive side, which to us is a really hilarious side, to Mario. Turns out he got kicked out of his castle! The one who did was - wait, what? A giant sword? With eyes and a mouth? Now it gets interesting!
Mario goes off on a quest to get Bowser back his castle. Though this isn't the intention of the game. What you really are meant to do is repair Star Road! A place that was broken when the giant sword split right through it! Without Star Road no dreams will ever come true! Now we can't let that happen! So the seven stars that make up Star Road have to be found!
Of course I won't spoil anything for you but I will give you a hint as to who appears in this little RPG of ours! The cast includes: Geno, a doll possessed by a celestial spirit from the Star Road. Peach/Princess Toadstool, who refused to just sit back! Bowser, a sensitive bad guy gone good. Mallow, a . . . tadpole? These are our main characters! Really quite an interesting bunch! Of course there are side characters! Yoshi for instance! I mean it really wouldn't be Super Mario without him am I right? What else do you need to complete the super awesome Super Mario stew? Mario's jump!
This does make an appearance of course! Through out the game people are constantly trying to prove that he is the one and only Mario. So how does he do it? He jumps! That along with in battle; this is where you can use a special technique where if you time tapping the X button along with his jumps you take off more HP!
One ending you guy face is one that may spark some interest. I can't give you full details since doing that would ruin the story for you. All I have to say is: Axem Rangers. They're like the power rangers except EVIL! MUAHAHAHAHA!!! Anyways, if you have the time, pick up the game and go on an adventure! Of course you'll have to own a Super NES or an internet-ready Wii if you want to play it! Trust me it's completely worth it! For more information on this game here's a website! I've read through most of it and deem it correct! Just don't read too far into it or else you'll know the whole story!!
I'll be brief, because, let's face it, Steel Diver is a brief game. In it, the player takes control of a submarine to complete a variety of side scrolling missions. There are three submarines, each in a different size class, that have strengths and weaknesses in acceleration, maneuverability, and fire power. I'll get right down to it: the controls are clunky and un-fun. The story is non-existent. The content is weak. I might pay ten bucks for this game, but forty? Don't even bother.
Starting with the availability of DSiware classics such as Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Cave Story, the Nintendo eShop has grown into a great source of downloadable entertainment. Last week, Netflix hit the eShop. This week, the much-anticipated Nintendo Video application arrived. Both are free to download. New titles have also surfaced: chief among them is a second addition to the 3D Classics library, Xevious, an arcade shooter. The Nintendo eShop is updated every Thursday, so don't forget to check back in often!
Quick personal note: Aaaaah! I feel terrible! I've been shunting Nintendo and my blog to the side because...I'm a huge Harry Potter fan! This is kind of a turning point in my life!
Aren't you so glad you know why I haven't been giving Ocarina of Time 3D the attention it deserves? Okay...ahem, moving on! Music! Starting with Nintendo's presentation at this year's E3, it's been a roller coaster ride to the obtaining of the official Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack for me. Club Nintendo didn't make it clear how many soundtracks were available or how long they might last. Just to be on the safe side, I changed my shipping speed, paying an extra three bucks.
Ocarina of Time 3D is out for one day, and a message appears: the demand is too great. Those who register the game by tomorrow will definitely receive a soundtrack. NO!!!!!! I've missed it! The deadline passes. A second message appears: We will still be sending out soundtracks to those who register the game, on a first come, first serve basis, while supplies last. YES!!!!!!! I still have a chance! An agonizing two days pass. The game finally comes! I register it and take the survey as fast as humanly possible. Nothing. That's what I get for about a day. Then the blessed e-mail arrives! My reward order has been processed! I will receive another e-mail when it ships! Soon after that, I see a final message on Club Nintendo: the offer has ended.
So there goes 90% of my blog post on telling you how I got an official Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack. Suffice it to say that the music in Ocarina of Time is and always has been amazing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish making all of those ocarina melodies into ringtones. Have a great week!
From Pokemon Stadium to Pokemon Battle Revolution, console Pokemon games always fall short of handheld Pokemon games. Therefore, Pokemon Colosseum, released for the GameCube in 2004, came as a pleasant surprise to me. It still doesn't measure up, but it becomes a great game in its own right through the use of a few twists to the tried-and-true Pokemon formula.
Twist #1: No Wild Pokemon
Okay, so most of the console Pokemon games don't have wild Pokemon. Colosseum, however, isn't like other console Pokemon games, in that it has an extensive single player adventure. So how does the player acquire new Pokemon? By snagging other peoples' Pokemon, that's how! This method is frankly frowned upon in mainstream Pokemon games.
Twist #2: A New Evil Agenda
Fortunately, the plot in Colosseum justifies such dastardly behavior: the bad guys are stealing Pokemon from other trainers (no change there) and shutting the doors to the hearts of these Pokemon (okay, that's different). There is hope for these "Shadow Pokemon": after snagging them, the player can gradually purify them by carrying them around and utilizing other cleansing methods.
Along with these, Pokemon Colosseum contains the single most compelling challenge I've encountered in a Pokemon game: the opportunity to earn a level-70 Ho-oh by snagging and purifying every available Pokemon in the game, then completing Mt. Battle in Colosseum mode with a party composed only of those Pokemon.
So play this game if you're a Pokemon fan! Not a Pokemon fan? It's still a great game.
Look at this video! See no blood!! Is it that hard?
Ever since I was little, around six or seven, I was not allowed to play 'killing games' as they were called by my parents. They were of course referring to violent video games. Well that was back then. Now I am curious as to how my parents would react to the amount of violence, blood, and gore of the new 'killing games'? The violence has easily increased by more than half. My question is why? Why make it even more realistic? Ask yourself, "Could I really kill a person in real life with little remorse as I do in this game?" Well if you are playing those games you might as well say yes. That's how good the graphics have gotten.
"Oh come on! Really? It's just a video game! Just because I kill people in that doesn't mean I will in real life." That's exactly what you're thinking isn't it? No? You were thinking about grapes? Oh dear...this is awkward. Just kidding! I know that that is what you were thinking so DON'T LIE! It's very bad. Anyways the point is that the graphics in the newer video games are really good. It's almost like a movie, a very violent horrible movie. Why would they make the video games this realistic? It really makes no sense to me.
Many articles have been written on the violence of video games. One I find very true is 'Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression'. It states that, along with many other things, the bad guys no longer fall down or disappear when you kill them. Now they act out how they die. Like if they get shot in the stomach they will crouch over holding their stomach. Very horrible. I find that I can't play those games. I always start freaking out whenever I have to kill something head on like that. I do believe that this is the reason that I like Traditional RPG games better than the ones where you walk around and hack at things until they die.
As an example of me freaking out, I was playing Metroid Prime and kept dying. The reason was simple. Whenever I started to get shot at I'd start to scream, (no joke my mom kept asking me what was wrong), and just shoot randomly because I'd be so scared. Eventually I got past the first ending guy, but let me tell you it was no easy task. Sure it's a simple enough and totally rad game, but it just scared me so bad. I think that I will stick with my Traditional RPG games.
Don't get me wrong I still love those kinds of games: just not the new ones. I mean look at The Legend of Zelda! It's one of those games where you just go and attack the thing, but no blood! I mean is it that hard to refrain from adding those types of things into your game? That game itself has kept going for a long time with 18 games and counting. Yet look at the graphics. They are getting better and better, but here's the catch-the violence level isn't really changing. I mean what does the level of violence in the new games have to say about us? About the people who think them up, make them, and then play them? All I have to say is that the world we are living in is somewhat corrupt if we enjoy killing people. Even if it's not 'in real life'.
...I try to create a Mii using a photo of a Mii? Shall I explain? Alright, here goes: the Mii Maker in the Nintendo 3DS system has a few features that go above and beyond the Mii Channel that the Wii introduced us to. Chief among them is the ability to create a Mii from a photo, which can be taken by the inward- or outward-facing cameras built into the system. Well, I thought it would be interesting to see what happened when that photo was of an already-conceived Mii. Here are the results:
The image on the left is me (or Mii). The image on the right is what my Nintendo 3DS spit out when given a photo of Mii. Interesting...
Game: Pokedex 3D
Price: Free
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Short Review: A must-have for Pokemon fans, especially considering it's free. Contains a surprising amount of info on each Pokemon, such as descriptions, moves, and evolutions. Not all Pokemon are available from the beginning, so it's fun to collect.
Game: Mario Calculator
Price: $1.99
Platform: Nintendo DSiware
Short Review: Most handheld gadgets come with a built-in calculator, but the Nintendo 3DS does not. If calculators are your thing, this may be a worthwhile transaction for you at a slim $1.99. Also, the unit conversion function is an unexpected treat.
Game: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Price: $5.99
Platform: Virtual Console-GameBoy Color
Short Review: Surprisingly fun for a handheld adventure game. A good buy for any Zelda fan. Not a Zelda fan? You'd be wise to stay away.
In this situation it's the old against the new. Which one is more popular? Which is more fun? Which one is greater? I have been wondering this since the very beginning! To tell you the truth when DKCR first came out I was prejudiced against it. I thought that there was no way it could ever match up to the old and original DKC! After all it's one of the greatest nintendo games of all time! Though after some time I finally got to play DKCR. I have to say I was pretty impressed.
It is fun to play and simple enough. I was actually really excited to play it! I mean hello it was DK and Diddy! Who wouldn't be excited? They were finally back and ready to go! Of course they got their bananas stolen (goish talk about losing your bananas instead of your marbles...hmm I wonder which is worse?) and that is what starts them off onto their adventure. There are some downsides to the new DKCR though. One that really irks me on is the bad guys.
I do understand that in this day and age that they can make some seriously wicked bad guys but I miss the old ones. What ever happened to the annoying little beavers and the stripedy snakes? The bees and the scary jumping alligator thingys?! It's depressing, it truly is! I liked killing those guys they'd always make funny noises. I'm not creepy I swear! It's just that they were so obnoxious, when you finally killed them you'd get some satisfaction...The upside to having different guys is the little scene at the beginning it's super funny and way cute!
One thing that I really like about DKCR is that they really do return. It's not just a remake of the old one. It has new boards and a new supreme evil guy that for some reason wants bananas just as much as monkeys want them. Though that does confuse me! Why do they need bananas? Sure they came out of a volcano and probably want some food, but still!! Are they going to roast them on a stick? Actually, that does sound quite apatizing...I'll be right back. (Gets a banana and a stick and tries to roast them over a fire) OKAY NO!! So now I don't understand why he wants the bananas.
Anyways my conclusion is that I really do like both of these games. DKC is of course the original and will forever be number one in my heart. DKCR is a close second. One thing I do have to say though is that I think that it is definitely better than DCK 3. I've never played 2 so I don't really know. Well now that you have read this go and play these two fabulous games and decide which is better! Stop reading this and go do it. Like right now. So why are you still reading this?
Donkey Kong Country: 8 million copies sold worldwide
Donkey Kong Country Returns: 4.2 million copies sold worldwide
Our original Ocarina of Time cartridge. It's taken a beating.
I want my official review of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D to be something special, so I'm holding off and sliding by with teasers here on the Nintendo Lifeline. I could've cruised through the main quest in Ocarina of Time 3D in order to try out the Master Quest, but I'm just so absorbed in the side quests and discovering every little secret. Don't worry, though, the big post will come, and you won't want to miss it!
One characteristic of a "legend" is that its origins are long-forgotten. I think that officially qualifies The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to be a true legend in my life. I know I must have "learned" how to beat this game at some point, but I sure don't remember that. I've simply beaten it too many times to count over the years. My earliest memory of this game, however, definitely happened before I knew how to beat it. Wondering what all the fuss was about, I turned the game on and found myself unable to get past the courtyard of the Temple of Time. Some game. But how old was I? Must've been 7 or 8.
Growing up, I was a girl in a neighborhood full of boys. Ironically, it was I who would play Ocarina of Time while the rest of the neighborhood crew watched. To this day, I can't help but read the dialogue of any Zelda game out loud when someone comes in to watch me play.
Have your own memories of Ocarina of Time? We want to hear about it! Just leave a quick comment!
You'll never guess how I found out how to play this game! Go on! Guess!
Okay, okay, I'll just tell you. I found a tattered old manual for the original Excitebike in my basement. I thought it was funny.
Anyway, on with this review! First, let me explain just what "3D Classics" means. 3D Classics: Excitebike is the first in a hopefully lengthy library of old video games given the 3D treatment. The original gameplay and graphics remain intact, but now 3D depth has been added. And for a 27-year-old game, Excitebike holds up pretty well. The original was released for the NES in 1984. It was a side-scrolling racer that put players' reflexes to the test with jumps to land and obstacles to avoid. In order to excel at this game, several techniques should be mastered: landing jumps squarely, doing wheelies over certain obstacles, and using turbo effectively, to name a few.
This complex gameplay lends itself to Excitebike's longevity. Trying to pull everything together in order to get the fastest times is a stimulating challenge. Oh, and the 3D visuals aren't too shabby either. I'm dying to see which classic video game gets the 3D treatment next.
