Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (NDS)

Days march on and we see that things never change.  This game is no exception.  Parts of this game are very similar to the Kingdom Hearts games I've played in the past.  You travel around, kill things and level up.  You get new weapons and skills, then have even more fun.

The biggest issue I have with this game is the mission structure.  Every mission is spelled out pretty clear but some are rather boring.  Like collecting a bunch of items or killing some immobile objects.  Sure it sounds fun on paper but it is often boring.

The keyblades are a joke this time around.  Sure the DS has some limitation in what it can render but still, don't skimp on putting in some nicer keyblades.  Palette swapping does not work when you are working with the main weapon that is iconic to the series.  Also, skip the online part...sure it brings in some replayability and what not but it wasn't needed.

I would say this was a bad game but I can't bring myself to do it.  It wasn't that bad of a game.  I had some fun with it.  Some aspects didn't click with me but others were quite tedious.  The story isn't terrible and it is easier to follow than other games in the series but it's not bad.  If you need some fun times in an action adventure game, get this.  If not, it's passable.

3d Dot Game Hero (PS3)

What can I say about this game?  The concept is simple.  You start your journey to save the world as whatever character you want.  There is nothing better than setting out on an adventure to save the world, but allowing the player to play as whatever they want.  Be it a tank, to a pencil, to a single pixel block.  The game lets you play.

The story is pretty funny.  There are a lot of things to talk to and plenty of things to discover.  Lots of items and lots of stuff to collect.  Getting all the swords and items and things takes a long time but it is fun.  My biggest issue with the game is the map system.  It is downright terrible.  Trying to figure out where to go is often frustrating and really annoying.  Sure this is a throwback to the old games of the same genre but it gets to a point of frustration that it pulls from the experience.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite games on the PS3.  I can look past some of the limitations and tedious traveling at times because it is fun.  The bosses are fun, the dialogue is often hilarious, and there is enough going on that will remind you of the older games in the genre that you will definitely feel some kind of nostalgia.  From Software has been putting out good games and I enjoyed this nice little romp through memory lane.

Hammerin' Hero (PSP)

I didn't know what to expect with this game.  In fact, I didn't know this game was part of a series of games from Japan.  Little did I know, I would run into a game that challenged me and was so insane that it was the most fun I had with PSP for a long time.

It's a simple concept.  Start and go right, avoid things, and fight your way to the end.  Sounds simple?  Well when everything and the scenery wants to kill you, it's not.  I loved how difficult the game can get.  Sure you get different vocations and those are helpful but nothing beats hammering things into the ground.

It's not a long game and parts are really hard but the game is really fun.  Plain simple fun.

Super Robot Taisen: OG Saga Endless Frontier (DS)

Wall of boobs.  This is a game that is really stuck in my heart.  I didn't quite enjoy the battle system because it is very strict and unforgiving.  If you don't get extremely good at juggling your opponents, they will guard you.  Not only that but they can drop all of your next attacks as well.  Sure this is only the later enemies and by then you should know what to do.  But there is a point where it is very frustrating.

The story is what I enjoyed the most.  It combines some good characters and some great story arcs.  There is always something new and everything comes together.  The conversations between the party members are often funny but it gets the job done.

As an RPG, the battle system is unique and I loved it.  Yes I mentioned the unforgiving nature and the fact that you have to be near perfect to win some fights.  I still loved it despite this.  The attacks all have their uses and there is a lot of strategy in this.  When to use skills, when to use items, etc.  A bad choice could easily spell death.

The great thing about this game is that there is a lot of variety and a lot of fun stuff to it.  I wish we had gotten the sequel.  It still stands as one of my favorite games on the DS.

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)

On-rails shooters.  This is a genre that I generally don't like.  In fact, I know I don't like this.  This game though, has changed my mind a little bit.  It helped me get better at shooting.  I had to focus and shoot the critical areas.

The story does rather clear up some of the plot that I missed with some of the games I hadn't played.  I liked the recap of the stories that I hadn't ever seen.  I also liked some of the guns and leveling them up.

The bosses were kind of inventive and some of the battles are pretty intense.  Sure one of them drags on for way to long if you run out of grenades or shotgun ammo but it doesn't detract too much.

All in all, this is a game that I went into not really enjoying and ended up having a nice time.

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.