Respected online gaming publication Edge has awarded Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D a more than respectable 8/10. The magazine is notorious for its strict scoring policy, so an 8 is a great score for the game which has had a mixed critical reception since its E3 début. Will this persuade you to pick up a copy?
Without a doubt Resident Evil Revelations is a visual treat, but does it contain the scares and atmosphere of its critically acclaimed predecessors? Read on to find out.
Is this the best looking game on the Nintendo 3DS?
Categorically yes. Resident Evil Revelations is the best looking game on the Nintendo 3DS thus far and it’s a great example of what developers can achieve visually with the system. However, I did find the video cut-scenes slightly pixelated in comparison to the razor-sharp in-game visuals, but this is only a little niggle at a technically excellent game.
How were the 3D effects?
To be honest I had the 3D turned off as soon as I realised I could walk and shoot zombies at the same time using the gyroscope to aim. Sure, I would have liked to play it with the 3D on but I don’t feel as though I missed out too much. Leaving the 3D effects turned on whilst using the gyroscope proved to be a nightmare, as expected.
Does it deliver the scares?
I played the entirety of Resident Evil: Revelations using some reasonably high quality headphones and I’ve got to say that it’s the only way to play this game. There are some cheap scares here and there, but the sound work on the game is pure genius, as pipes crack overhead and the shuffling of zombies will leave you with your finger firmly poised above the shoot button.
Some publications slammed it because of its episodic nature. Were they right to?
I’m actually a fan of splitting the content of the game into episodes and chapters as it adds variety to the game, and works especially well on a hand-held system. Yes, you’ll find yourself slipping from one scenario to the next but this spices things up and assures you that you’ll never become bored with the overall story mode.
Sound and dialogue:
The music and the sound effects combined create an unparalleled suspenseful and eerie atmosphere, though some of the dialogue, particularly that which comes from third-party characters, is immensely cheesy and is bound to make you cringe once or twice. The dialogue could have done with some work, but the gameplay will keep you hooked.
Uh-oh, slow down.
Another thing that you’ll come across is slow-down which seems to plague the game when the next part of the level is loading. You’ll notice this when you’re stepping into a lift for instance and it can detract from the overall quality of the game. There’s nothing worse than seeing your character jerking uncontrollably, especially for a game of this calibre.
To sum up
The game is no Resident Evil 4, but I found it vastly more enjoyable than Resident Evil 5. This is one of those games that I felt compelled to continue, due in part to its episodic nature which, as I mentioned previously, works exceptionally well on a handheld. Capcom has not only produced one of the most spectacular games on the Nintendo 3DS, but also one of the best.
9/10
Edge magazine has given Resident Evil: Revelations a decidedly average 6/10 in the latest issue which hits news stands now. Edge isn’t the only publication to award Resident Evil: Revelations an average score with Games TM awarding the game the exact same score. Resident Evil Revelations is out January 27th in Europe and February 7th in North America.
Respected UK games publication GamesTM has awarded the highly anticipated Resident Evil: Revelations a mediocre 6/10. The publication seems to have issues with the game’s episodic structure which is calls ‘cheap’ and the fact that you find yourself battling against the same enemies time and time again. Will you still be picking up Resident Evil: Revelations?
How does the game look on the Nintendo 3DS?
The game’s visuals are sharp, crisp and colourful but the courses themselves sometime feel a little bare at times. Most of the time you’ll be concentrating on your racing line too much to notice, but if you do decide to glance at the 32 tracks you can’t help but see that there just isn’t much life in the backgrounds. That being said, the character models and the Karts themselves all look top-notch.
How are the 3D effects in Mario Kart 7?
I’ve been playing Mario Kart 7 with the 3D turned on but to be honest nothing has particularly jumped out at me. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Super Mario 3D Land or maybe Mario Kart 7 just isn’t the poster child for 3D gaming. Don’t get me wrong, the 3D is a welcome addition but it doesn’t make or break this game and you can play it just as well with the 3D turned off.
Where does this game really shine then?
My favourite part of Mario Kart 7 is the game’s online mode and this is where it really comes to life. You can play in a community or take on eight random players online across the game’s 32 courses. It’s quick and painless to get yourself a game and the set-up is extremely similar to that of Mario Kart Wii. Expect to find yourself wasting away numerous hours in the pursuit of victory.
Is this the definitive Mario Kart game?
That’s hard to say as I’ve enjoyed all the entries in the series. It’s also going to take a while to decide if the new tracks can hold their own against the classics. I feel Nintendo has implemented enough small changes to justify making this the seventh entry in the series. It doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it’s still damn good fun.
8/10
I’ll start of by saying that SolatoRobo: Red the Hunter wasn’t a game that was on my radar for 2011. This changed immediately after I started playing the game. I was instantly won over by the cute, colourful and vibrant game world that greeted me and by Red; an instantly likable protagonist with a brave, daring and humorous personality.
So give me a brief idea of what the game’s like?
Well it comes across as a well presented hybrid which lies somewhere between a Nintendo platformer and an extremely accessible role playing game. Red is a freelancer always looking for the next adventure to score big on but he’s rather strapped for cash, so he’s given a number of quests to do via Flo the Quest Broker. These quests are sometimes tied in with the main story and require a certain rank to do therefore you will find yourself doing plenty of fun side-quests as well as progressing through the games main storyline.
Isn’t it a little late for a Nintendo DS game now the 3DS is out?
No, this game looks absolutely gorgeous. Yes, it’s running on older hardware but you can tell that CyberConnect2 has painstakingly thought out every minute detail of the world that Red inhabits. The art direction reminds me of Studio Ghibli film with lush vegetation, sprawling landscapes which combine to create a believable living, breathing world. SolatoRobo has apparently been ten years in the making and it shows as everything has been fine tuned to perfection. This is how you make a Nintendo DS game.
Should I buy it?
If you’re looking for a brilliant adventure with charming characters, gorgeous game worlds and game-play mechanics that have basically been fine-tuned to perfection, then yes you should buy it. It’s definitely one of the best games I’ve ever played on the Nintendo DS. Some might say that it’s a little on the easy side, but that’s not a bad thing in the case of this game, as there’s so much to do and see. Everything has been thought out 100% and there’s no ‘what do I do next?” The story takes you by the hand and leads you on one of the best adventures you’ll have in your life.
9/10
FlingSmash is a truly endearing adventure which is suitable for gamers all ages.
The game itself sees you take the role of Zip a cute ball shaped protagonist who has to save the day once his beloved Suton Island comes under threat by the evil Omminus who wishes to take its mysterious power.
The gameplay is an interesting fusion between tennis and pinball, an eclectic mix that works like a charm and induces a whole new form of addiction. You literally flick the Wii remote to send your flexible hero flying into bricks which he smashes and bounces around the screen destroying everything in his path.
It’s a charming side-scrolling adventure which starts on the beautifully sunny Biginnah beach complete with a soundtrack that sounds as though it came straight from Super Mario Sunshine. There are eight worlds in total for the player to play through, each complete with three colourful stages and a boss battle.
Players are tasked with finding three medals on each stage which in turn opens a shell for the hero to claim a pearl. Littered throughout the levels are bonus items for Zip to capture to increase your score which is given a total at the end of each stage giving plenty of replay value.
FlingSmash delivers a super fun if short and simplistic gaming experience which is enriched by a wonderful soundtrack. The game itself doesn’t have the longevity to be worthy of a full price tag by itself, but as it come bundled with Wii Remote Plus controller there is no question that it’s a must buy.
7.5/10
The insanely cute Kirby’s Epic Yarn has gone down a storm with Japanese gaming bible Famitsu with reviewers awarding the title a combined 9/8/9/10 score which totals to a more than respectable 36/40.
As this game finishes the first trilogy of Professor Layton games, it certainly does it with a bang. Packing even more fresh puzzles into this game, it never seems to lack in variety of skill for all players.
One of the more obvious new features not seen in Curious Village or Diabolical Box, is the extended hint system. In previous games, each puzzle allowed three hints for a cost of one hint coin each. Unwound Future allows a fourth hint for each puzzle, entitled ‘S. Hint’ at the cost of two hint coins. This is most likely based around the ‘Super Guide’ system Nintendo began implementing with New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The S. Hints tend to make the answer really obvious, sometimes even telling you the answer directly.
A great improvement was seen in the mini-game department. Three new concepts (storybook, parrot and laytonmobile) emerged and all are fun and intriguing. They all focus heavily on logic to finish the levels, and the difficulty rises at a fair rate. As for the future of mini-games; if Level 5 follows suit for NA/EU, Professor Layton and the Specter’s Flute on the 3DS will feature ‘Professor Layton’s London Life’, a 100 hour RPG made by popular developer ‘Brownie Brown’. This will no doubt bring the Professor Layton series to a whole new level.
Another new feature in the game is a puzzle ‘battle-of-wits’. These are on-the-spot, no saving, no hint puzzles that are crucial to the storyline, and can’t be avoided. Because of this, the difficulty is slightly lowered, but would still be considered difficult. These don’t occur too often, but often enough to make a fun challenge.
The story itself is spectacular. It especially pays off if you’ve gone through the first two games. Much like a good season finale of a TV show, the story here reveals major plot twists, and ties up loose ends to the ongoing mystery presented at the beginning. However, they did leave it open for a sequel of sorts. It will be interesting to see them tie the last of this trilogy to the beginning of the prequel trilogy.
This game is an absolute must for any Professor Layton fan. The perfect ending leading into a new beginning.
9/10
~~mario64mario
The unexpected collaboration between Team Ninja and Nintendo is most definitely a success.
Many gamers out there were shocked when Nintendo announced that they were co-developing the next edition of the highly revered Metroid franchise with Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden developer, Team Ninja.
Thankfully I can say the fruits of both teams labour have paid off with an action packed adrenaline fueled rush that at times can feel relentless but always keeps the player entertained and effectively glued to the screen.
The controls at first feel rather strange as the game requires only the Wii remote without the nunchuck accessory. When in third person mode you use the Wii remote as if it was a NES pad you then point the Wii remote at your screen to enter first person mode. As I said it initially feels strange but you’ll soon become accustomed to the controls.
Graphically the game is one of the finest looking titles I’ve encountered on the Nintendo Wii only challenged by the sublime Super Mario Galaxy 2. The game feels exceptionally polished and it’s readily apparent that Team Ninja have seriously packed some punches when it comes to pushing the graphical capabilities of the Wii.
This is definitely a Metroid game at heart that successfully manages to fuse together elements of the Metroid Prime series and Super Metroid to create something that doesn’t feel tacked together but something elegant in its own right. I honestly can’t wait to see what both teams can deliver next.
9/10
