Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Mario has always been a great series in my mind.  I have enjoyed most of the games in the series.  It's hard to think of a platformer series that I haven't liked and this is no different.

I have to say that the game is fun.  Really fun.  The 3D effects are incredibly useful at times.  They give a feeling of depth that many 3D platformers have been missing in the past.  Sure the gimmick at times is a little much but watching Bullet Bills stream past as they head towards the screen is enjoyable.

Although the main game is rather easy, there are challenging parts.  The return of the Tanuki Suit is great.  In fact, the game can easily be beaten with just this item.  Having two of them almost guarantees that you can beat a level.

I haven't tried the extra levels and I have heard that they are much more difficult and make the game even better.  I would recommend this to anybody who wants a 3DS game.  If you like platforming, this is a game for you.  This is one of the most solid and polished platformers I've played in a long time.

Killzone: Liberation (PSP)

Killzone is one of those series that I thought I would be interested in.  Meaning, I like the source material and premise but I'm not the best in the world at shooters.  In fact, I tend to stay away from shooters.  I do like Top-Down shooters but there is a point when I don't.  This game is an example of that.

The enemy AI in this game is relentless.  In fact, it's downright brutal.  It's the reason why I never liked this game.  I never finished it and I never want to.  If I do, I will revisit this review.

I love the premise of this game though.  Saving the world and what not is always something that I like to do.  What I don't like to do is to have to repeatedly redo a mission because the AI is incredibly deadly or the mission parameters aren't clear.  Yes, challenging games are fun but there is a point where challenge becomes incredibly frustrating.

Will I finish this game someday?  Maybe.  But not anytime soon.

REVISIT: So I actually came back and finished this game.  I have to say, that it wasn't terrible.  The only down point I can bring up besides what I already mentioned was the boss battles and the ending.  The boss battles were just frustrating and not worth anybodies time.  The ending basically ended up being "Play the next game or buy the DLC to finish this.  Thank you."  I still don't like the amount of damage the enemies take and even the fact that some of the controls were wonky.  Don't play this one kids.

Wipeout HD/Fury (PS3)

I've never been a fan of racing games.  In fact, other than Mario Kart, this is the only racing game series I've played.

Let me get straight to it.  This game is fun.  Fun to the point of insanity.  I thought the AI in Mario Kart was bad at not letting me get to far.  The AI in later levels of this game are brutal.  Combine that with sense of speed and I just couldn't get into this game.  Sure I like challenges but something about this game just turned me off.

One thing I've never been too keen on is the fact that you have to try over and over and if you miss anything by a hair, you have to try again.  Pinpoint accuracy has never been my forte.  Sure I can snipe quite well in shooters but I've never been able to do it under pressure.  This game pressures you to the point that you can't make a single mistake.

Games that demand perfection are not considered fun to me.  I like to mess around, experiment, and try new things.  Sure it doesn't always work out but I can say that experimenting in this game is a good way to lose.

I will say that this is one of the few games I've ever played online with friends.  This is the one thing I rather liked.  The online is quite smooth and having a whole room full of people you know is fun.  Sure there are people that will ruin the fun by being incredibly good at the game but there is enough random chance that there is just a slim set of hope that you could win to keep it interesting.

I still prefer Mario Kart to this series but I think I would buy another one if I see it for the right price.

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition (PSN)

For those that don't know this about me.  I love fighting games.  I didn't use to.  I mean I played a lot, MK, SSFIIT, Clayfighters, etc.  But then I stopped playing fighting games for a long time.  I didn't get back into them until Blazblue: Continuum Shift.

Ever since then, I have been picking up fighting games.  This game is one of those recent surprises.  Sure it is a relatively old compared to BB:CS.  But this was a great game.  My first experience with a Street Fighter game was Turbo on the SNES. I got used to the staples, Ryu, Ken, and E Honda.  Heck Chun-Li was my stand-by for a while.  When I started this game I was looking for M. Bison, Dhalsim, and Sagat.  What I got was Hugo, Q, and Elena.

Not saying this is bad but there is a serious disjoint with this game.  Everything is crazy in this game.  Like what is Seven?  Or whatever his name is.  Nobody will correct me.

Still, not much I can say.  Standard gameplay.  I like the whole counter system.  Supers are awesome too.  I love the music and the graphics.  It's quite good.

I can look past the new characters (What the heck is Oro?) and I have.  In fact, I like Dudley.  But still, this isn't like what I was looking for.  I enjoyed it though.

Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

For one of the first games I ever had on my Wii, it was pretty enjoyable.  This was my first true exposure to Mario Kart other than Mario Kart DS.  I have to say I was pretty surprised by the amount of depth put into the game.  While I did play mostly with the Wii Wheel accessory, I tried the Gamecube Controller settings as well.  I stuck with the Wheel because it felt more comfortable.

From a gameplay stand-point it is pretty rock solid.  You race around the tracks, dodging your fellow racers and the various gimmicks for the tracks.  Some tracks I would like to forget about, Mushroom Gorge comes to mind first, but it was still solid racing.  The AI for the computer controlled racers though was quite bad though.  The term rubberband is not a fitting term as these things will stay stuck to you for the whole race.  Usually the same two racers will follow you for a cup (in my case usually Toad and Donkey Kong, sometimes Bowser or Daisy).  Still, the motorcycles are fun to play with and I enjoyed them.

The music was good and the graphics were great for the Wii.  My only complaint is some of the sounds were annoying.  Mainly anything that has to do with Daisy and her voice that could kill a man.

Racing around a Mario themed world should be fun.  Even though the AI can be a bit brutal and often times you will go from 1st to last in a blink of an eye, it was still an enjoyable game.  I only wish I had unlocked all the racers.

Scurge: Hive (NDS)

What could be more fun than Metroid in isometric view?  Well not this game.  This was a disappointing title, very disappointing.  Despite the fact that it has a good premise, it falls flat.  The problem, an incredibly broken and boring combat system.  Having enemies take millions of hits to kill is not fun and not difficult.  It is just tedious.

This is incredibly simple, the game is tedious.  Too tedious to be worth playing.  The story falls short of being good, the items you get are either unfun to use or too difficult to work with, and the enemies range from rock walls with legs to instant death.

Kirby Super Star Ultra (NDS)

What can I say about this awesome game?  I own the SNES version as well and while I feel it seems better on the SNES, this is essentially the same game.

My favorite thing in this is the Great Cave Offensive.  It has the most amount of content in the game.  I enjoy this part of the game the most.  Kirby is great for adventures.  The premise is simple and all the little references to other games it awesome.

A solid Kirby game and it is definitely a staple in the franchise.  Everybody should play this game in some form.

Chrono Cross (PS1)

This game, this is the game that got me into RPGs.  So much nostalgia behind this game that it makes me feel weird reviewing this because I would be blinded by it.

The part of this game that gets to me, that makes me love this game so much is the story.  What starts out as a simple story of adventure and figuring out what happened, turns into an epic adventure to find out about your past and the world itself.  Switching between worlds was an awesome mechanic.  Things were slightly connected and it made for a fun time.

The battle system was great as well.  Each attack or spell was clear and you could only stack a certain number for turn.  The bosses range from simple to some of the most difficult bosses I've ever come across.

It's a great game.  Everything about this game.  The characters, the music, the atmosphere.  It's pretty awesome.

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP)

A fairly recent game and one I feel should be an instant classic.  The one thing that sets this game apart from recent games, the fact that it is difficult, insane, and yet still fun.

The premise is simple, get through the game with 1000 lives.  Sounds easy?  It's not.  The game does everything in its power to kill you.  Once you get down on the controls, the game is strict.  You must adapt and survive or memorize.

I will say this, this game made me a much better Platformer player.  You have to try everything in your power to win.  Great game.

Tales of Symphonia (GCN)

As my first adventure into the very definition of JRPG, I have to say I quite enjoyed myself.  One of the greatest things about this game is the battle system.  Each battle is unique because you can change it by being in a different location.

I love the battle system in this game.  It never gets dull, you never just hit the same button over and over from a menu.  You have to pay attention and dodge or block at the right time.

The story, while generic, has some good turns.  Although, I did see where it was going quite soon.  It just comes from years of playing games.

This game was a great change of pace from my usual RPG.  I did end up spending a lot of time with it and enjoyed it for what it was.  I did miss a TON of side content though and if I ever play it again, I will do that stuff as well.