The story is relatively simple, and awfully typical of a Pokémon game. Dark forces are engaging in thievery, and it is up to you to hunt them down and retrieve their ill-gotten gains. Unlike the main series antagonists, Team Rocket and its various clones, it is not Pokémon themselves that the villains are looting this time but Glowdrops, which represents the game’s health-restoring elixir. Its not a particularly compelling story in fairness, which is exacerbated by the fact these glowdrop thefts seem to have no ingame impact. Whenever I go to one of the towns’ various fountains to regain my health there are always enough glowdrops left, regardless on whether there’s just been a big loot or not. The game gives you some cock-and-ball story about how the grateful Pokémon have reserved some especially for me, which might actually be plausible if the glowdrops were finite, but seeing as they’re not just feels like a cop-out.

The gameplay, however, is pretty damn fun it must be said. You move a single Pokémon around using the analogue stick, and fight other critters in real-time using one of two moves. Some of the Pokémon you defeat will lie in a glowing circle, indicating that you can pick them up and add them to your roster, which is how Pokémon are collected in this title. The game’s real-time game play introduces some surprisingly satisfying elements. A good example would be earlier when I used my Darumaka (power : 898. In English : alot!) to poison a much lower level Blitzle, and just stood back and watched as it annihilated its HP.

If you so wish you may switch between Pokémon in your roster at almost any time (except when in the absolute heat of battle) and, as long as you don’t let your Pokémon die you can use as many as you wish. The pace is fast and frantic, and plays like a brilliant cross between Chrono Trigger and Bangai-O. Delightfully all of the current 649 Pokémon feature, so you’ll never tire of having to continually run into the same old monsters while playing this. Its particularly a pleasure when you run into an old favourite among all the frenzy (I must admit I did squee when I came across a Meowth!).

Other fun little inclusions are a 2-player battle and Co-op mode (both of which I have yet to try) and an additional, rather different use of the Streetpass feature. When you achieve a certain amount in game one of your stored Streetpass/Mii Plaza buddies (regardless of whether they’ve played this title of not) will make a visit to your ‘Toy Shop’ and spend a considerable amount of money! Which is a nice addition and comes in pretty useful. There are a few special Pokémon that can also be unlocked in this way…

Boss battles are fun, but do get repetitive. Regardless of which Pokémon is in use (and they vary by size/type/power, you name it) they always always have the same tactic, pivoting around in a circle before unleashing their attack. Its true that the balance between the boss’ power and your own will change each time, which will obviously make your strategy slightly different to each boss. But that doesn’t stop me thinking the developers were slightly lazy…

The graphics look to belong more to a high-end DS game than a 3DS title, but thats actually not a problem. Infact it suits the frantic gameplay to a T. When in play, the Pokécritters themselves all have a neat black border around them, which almost makes the game look like a cartoon. Its presentation is in the 2.5 style found in titles such as Pokémon Black/White. The colours are very vivid and bright, as with virtually every Pokémon title. While these things are all fine there are times when this title really lets itself down graphically, however. One big example is the text used to announce battles, another the cutscenes you come across as you traverse though the game. They both look like they were put together as part of a coursework project by a student learning to use 3D Studio Max. Not really what you’d expect from a full price retail title, especially one from Nintendo.
I really can’t complain too much however. The special effects look good, and great care has clearly been taken to make sure each and every move looks good when executed. Aside from that, and most importantly, the dear Pokémon themselves, all 649 of them, have been reproduced faithfully. As a fan of the franchise this is perhaps the main thing that encouraged me to purchase the game in the first place, and something I must give it praise for.

Upbeat is what you’ll find when it comes to the music. This is what you might expect from the Pokémon series, and it is wholly pleasant, even if its fair to say its nothing special. It has a very electronic 1980s feel to it that goes well with the pace.
Interestingly there’s more variation in the actual battle music then there is when actually travelling through the levels unprovoked, which is in stark contrast to the main series games in the franchise. The variance in battle music is much welcomed, ofcourse, but its a shame that the same tunes are played over and over while in the normal areas of the game, because it really makes things feel quite samey at times. Certainly I would contribute this as a reason why this is a title best played in short bursts, given a rest, then returned to. There’s this one track, used on ‘Silent Forest’, ‘Windy Prarie’ and ‘Bright Beach’ among others… and honestly if I never have to hear it again I will be chuffed. Not that its a bad tune whatsoever, its just been used to death in this title.
The sound effects are great, they really made me smile. From the satisfying ‘smash’ sound made when a Pokémon you’ve just defeated submits to you, to the calming swishy noise made when you’re Audino performs ‘Secret Power’, the sound effects are well done here. I must make those Pokéfans among you aware that, as you may have guessed, the Pokémon still use their Gameboy cries. But it really takes nothing away from the experience at all, and, anyway, for many of us, these bleeps have become as synonymous with the Poképals they represent as any voice acting snippets could hope to.

So in conclusion, I think this review may have portrayed this title in a more negative light than it deserves. Its just that it has some glaring flaws that really needed to be addressed for this to be a fair review. But, overall, they don’t take away from this title’s solidity as much as I feel I may have portrayed them to have done, so allow me to redress that balance here.
I decided to buy Super Pokémon Rumble because I was so impressed by its gameplay at Eurogamer. I have honestly not regretted that decision for a second. Thus far I only have 3 games for my 3DS : Street Fighter 4, Mario Kart 7 and Super Pokémon Rumble. And I love them all equally. That sentence alone should make a fair few of you (especially 3DS owners) appreciate just what a special title this is.

Despite appearances this is no rehash (although it is clearly rushed in places). Its the most complete Pokémon Rumble title to date, and hopefully the second in what proves to be a long and prosperous series, because, let me tell those Pokéfans out there among you, playing Pokémon in realtime is AMAZING. Super Pokémon Rumble will send an army of Pokémon flying at you, and you -will- defeat them, either one by one or multiple at a time with the right moves. And it just feels amazing.
Yes there are a multitude of improvements that could be made. But that doesn’t distract from that fact that this is one of the finest Pokémon titles out there at the moment. I’d even go so far as to say its my joint favourite Pokémon spin-off game ever, the other being the legendary N64 romp Pokémon Snap. I really hope those 3DS-owning Pokéfans among you are not planning on letting this title pass you by. For any of you that have it : I’d be happy to exchange Friend Codes for a 2 player co-op game =]

PROS

+ Top-notch gameplay. Chrono Trigger meets Bangai-O
+ All 649 Pokémon that have currently appeared at some point pop up here
+ The graphics don’t push the envelope, but still generally work very well!
+ Music and sound effects are generally pleasant

CONS

-Crap Story
-Boss Battles are repetitive
-Few major graphical niggles

6/10 – Don’t regret purchasing this title for a second, an absolute joy for Pokémaniacs. But the amount of flaws and lack of originality sadly mean I cannot, of a sound mind, rate it any higher (despite wanting to!).

~HelenBaby

As well as the usual gifts of jazzy ties, plentiful piles of socks and sugary treats, this Christmas I got a copy of Mario Kart 7. Being a casual Mario Kart fan since Super Mario Kart on the SNES, I was pleased I could finally get some extended hands on time with the new game.  I have always preferred the arcade style of racing games over the more realistic car simulators, for example I never got on with the likes for Forza Motor sport or Gran Terismo as they seem to realistic for me. I have always favoured the ‘Race to the finish line using any means necessary,’ approach to racing games and Mario Kart 7 fits nicely into this genre.

Mario Kart 7 has a good selection of single player modes to choose from.  Classic Grand Prix mode pits you against several AI Karts in a four race ‘no holds barred’ battle to become King or Queen of the road. In Time Trial mode you have to beat a course of your choice in the fastest time possible. There is also Balloon Battle, where you are thrown into an arena littered with weapons to pop you opponents balloons before they pop yours. Finally there is Coin Battle where you have to pick up as many coins as possible in the allotted time. All of these modes are fun to play in both single player and in multiplayer, however for me Grand Prix and Time Trial mode have always outshone the rest.

The racing mechanics of Mario Kart 7 are what fans have come to expect. This game is fast and really easy to pick up, making it a great game for new comers as well as experienced pro’s. It also fits in well with the portable gaming style of the 3DS. The power sliding technique is back, however this time round they have made it a little easier. Taking a page from Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7 doesn’t require you to wiggle the circle pad from side to side while power sliding to gain a mini turbo boost. While this is a good idea to stop people from snaking (Constantly power sliding to get a turbo boost) in my opinion it has toned down the skill of the game slightly.

This is the first Mario Kart game to come out for the Nintendo 3DS system and I must say graphically the game looks really good both in 2D and 3D modes. Just by looking at it you can tell that Nintendo have really invested a decent amount of time into making the game look good on the 3D hand held device.  The sounds that have become synonymous with Mario Kart and indeed the Mario Franchise make a welcome return to Mario Kart 7, making Nintendo fans such as myself  feel at home when playing this game.

There are thirty two tracks to choose from including sixteen brand new tracks and sixteen tracks from previous Mario Kart titles. In my opinion there is a great selection of classic tracks such as Mario Circuit 2 from the original Super Mario Kart on the SNES, Kooper Beach from the N64 and Waluigi Pinball from Mario Kart DS. All of the tracks have been slightly re-imagined for Mario Kart 7 to make them fit in perfectly with the newer elements of the game. Don’t forget about the new tracks though, as they are also brilliantly made and worth a race too. Most tracks have elements that are new to the Mario Kart Franchise.  These elements include underwater sections where a propeller sticks out the back of your kart as you motor under the water and massive ramps which turn you kart into a mini glider. Personally I feel the underwater sections aren’t that great as they slow your kart down a little too much, but the glider sections do add a great skill element as you try and balance height with speed to gain a lead on your adversaries.

Much like previous titles in the series, Mario Kart 7 brings a fantastic arsenal of weapons and power ups to aid you in your battle to the finish line. Fan favourites such as the heat seeking red shell, the speed boosting mushroom and the slippery banana make a welcome return. There have also been new additions that in my opinion add more skill to the game. The Tanooki tail can smack opponents off of the track as well as flick bananas and mushrooms away. The fire flower has also been added so that you can throw fireballs at anyone who tries to get in your way. There is also the lucky 7 which gives you the a collection of weapons and power-ups to use including a Banana, a Green Shell, a Red Shell, a Bob-omb, a Super Star, a Mushroom and a Blooper. Be careful though, as with the Lucky 7 opponents can steal power-ups from you and if you are hit by a passing Bob-omb  you can lose your entire Lucky 7 arsenal. Game balancing power-ups  such as the Spiny Blue Shell and Bullet Bill also make a comeback, but I feel these are a bit overpowered this time round. There have been countless times when I have been in first place and have been Blue Shelled just before the finish line, which then lands me finishing the race in 5^th. I also find that Bullet Bill pretty much always puts the player into first place which it never seemed to do in Mario Kart DS.

Coins also make a welcome return to the Mario Kart franchise increasing your top speed as soon as you have collected ten. They also go towards unlocking new elements to the game such as new parts to customize your Kart. This brings a great sub-objective to the game which some of the later titles were unfortunately  lacking.

Mario kart 7 brings a great collection of characters for players to choose from. You have Nintendo fan favourites such as Yoshi, Toad, Koopa Troopa and Princess Peach, but you also have some great new additions such as Rosalina from Mario Galaxy and Latiku the cloud surfing Mario Kart race officiator. In true Mario Kart fashion all these characters have their own stats and attributes which effect how you race. There is a total of eight characters to unlock in Grand Prix mode and you also have the opportunity to unlock you Mii as a driver.

Mario Kart 7 also brings vehicle customisation to the table. Here you can mix and match wheels, Kart bodies and gliders to make your perfect Kart. For me this is a great element to add to the Mario Kart franchise, but I feel it could have been taken a step further maybe with colour customisation and fine tuning you kart. Hopefully we will see more Kart customisation in future Mario Kart games.

The thing in Mario Kart 7 that has impressed me the most is the multiplayer. Mario Kart games have been infamous for their local multiplayer however Mario Kart 7 takes multiplayer to the next level with its online multiplayer option. You can now create communities online for you and your friends to join in and race. Not only that but you can also set community preferences such as what weapons will feature in your races. The multiplayer fun doesn’t stop there as you also have some great features over street and spot pass where you are able to race against your friends’ ghosts on their favourite track. The 3DS can also take the ghost data and convert it into an AI which features in your single player grand prix races. This is a huge step up for Nintendo and online multiplayer and I hope to see much more of the same kind of thing in the future.

Pros:

+ Great Visuals
+ Gliding Mechanics that bring a good element of skill to the game
+ Great Re-envisioned tracks which complement the new game play elements
+ Well thought out online multiplayer
+ Kart Customisation

Cons:

- Some power-ups and weapons seem overpowered
– Underwater elements slow down the races too much
– Revised Power sliding makes the game easier.

8/10 – Mario Kart 7 is a great new addition to the franchise and to the 3DS. The new game play elements such as gliding are welcome but it is a shame that some of the power-ups and weapons feel a bit too overpowered. With brilliantly thought out multiplayer options this is a must have title for any 3DS owner.

- Garv

Nintendo Letter Box's lovely host : Instructor Nikki!

I want to start by saying the application offers a pretty nice interface on which to construct messages. Now, on a personal note, I’ve always been a fan of using styluses on touchscreens. It saddens me to see how finger-based technology really seems to have become the standard in touchscreen technology in recent years, because I really appreciate the elegance and charm of using a stylus. Its one of the reasons I decided to buy a 3DS. Back on topic : it gave me great pleasure to witness how much better drawing and doodling was on Letter Box than on Pictochat. For one thing the resolution’s obviously better. Another thing I really appreciated was how smooth it looks, I recall how jagged and pixelly pictures drawn in Pictochat would look, but that does not seem to be a problem here. Possibly because the background is softer, possibly because it all looks slightly more blurred. Either way I’m not complaining!

You can construct one letter over multiple pages, which is awesome as it lets you tell your friends a little story. One bone of contention is that you only have a limited amount of ink, so can only draw/write a finite amount of things. As you come close to running out there is a patronising beeping sound in the background. Hopefully that is something that will be removed in future updates, although I won’t hold my breath…

As you send more letters you begin to unlock funky little extras. Sending off 3 affords you the ability to insert photos into your letters. Oh exploitable…

4 sends will see you earn 3D pop-up text, while 5 gives you access to Stationary. What this offers you is 6 animated backgrounds, many featuring your darling Mii, to add a nice backdrop to your messages. I think the stationary is good if for no other reason than to add variety to messages, it does, after all, get boring staring at black and white.

Flicking through the mail...

Now I’m going to talk about the experience of viewing received messages/playing back your old creations. Because it’s actually pretty cool. When you open a hand-drawn letter you are presented with a little animation, where the message appears bit by bit until it’s all there. This is accompanied by a scribbling sound, and really creates the impression that the image is being drawn in front of your very eyes. Those of you who have ever used online Oekaki software will have an idea of what I mean. To further add to the cuteness, the original sender’s Mii can be seen in the corner of the screen with a pencil, scribbling furiously as all this is going on. It really feels quite personal somehow.

You heard the lady

Finally some notes on communication. The Streetpass method of exchange allows you to broadcast one message out to those you meet while out and about. Just one, which may be a good thing really given the immense spam potential that might otherwise exist. This Streetpass method of exchange gives the application a good deal of potential as a marketing tool, especially for companies looking to get the word out about their services at gaming conventions and whatnot. How receptive users will be to this rather sneaky method of advertising, however, will remain to be seen!

When you use Spotpass to send a message you are presented with a contact list that is automatically made up of your Friend List, which is very convenient I must say!

Answer : no.

So, in conclusion, I’m a big fan of Nintendo Letter Box. I’m digging the communication aspects and simply cannot wait to do some serious inbox-spamming promoting next time I’m at a con. Aside from that it affords myself and my friend Max yet another medium to use to exchange dirty jokes and naughty pictures, and I certainly can’t complain about that!

Artistically speaking, applications like this are really the direction I want to see Nintendo moving in. It combines a lot of freedom and choice with a good interface, and I think that’s a really good start. Its not quite the Flipnote Studio 3DS edition some of us are so earnestly awaiting, and nor does its breath of options match up to those Oekaki sites that were so popular in the mid Noughties. But Letter Box at least shows that Nintendo haven’t forgotten artist gamers (a sub set of gamer they’ve always been so good at appeasing). It also demonstrates how fun a fully fledged art app would be on the 3DS. Good show Nintendo.

PS. You can add Nikki to your Mii Plaza! Find her QR code here : http://my.opera.com/Nplus/blog/2011/12/25/mii-celebrety-swapnote-nikki

~HelenBaby

We’d like to share our excitement for this upcoming gem by offering one lucky PlusXP reader the chance to win this rather sexy 6 pack of classic Sonic figurines :

Featuring Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Metal Sonic and Super Sonic, this delightful box of treats has the charm of 10 salesmen. So enticing are they that Garvaos was positively vexed when we reminded him that staff weren’t eligible to enter our contests

The contest

So finally we get on to what you need to do to win our lovely prize. Just send us in a photo, or an amalgamation of photos, that you feel sum up the theme Sonic Generations. It could be a picture of your Grandad with a Sonic plushie, a pic of you wearing a Sonic t-shirt as a kid… whatever you can think of. You probably already have a photo in your hard drive that’ll be perfect, don’t ya?

The Rules

• Contest closes on Sonic Generations’ release date. So, to clarify, that’s the 4th November.
• Only one entry per person. But you can change your entry if, before the contest’s end, you think of a picture you’d prefer
• All entries will be featured in an article summing up the contest, so by entering your consenting for your picture to be used in this way

How to submit

Just link us to your entry either via Twitter, where you can find us @PlusXP, or send it to us via email at competitions@plusxp.com

We look forward to receiving your entries guys.

(By the way, those of you who live in London and are over 18 should totally join SonicLondon, run by your’s truly. We have meet ups around the Capital about 3-4 times a year, where we drink, draw, play games and generally lark about : http://www.facebook.com/groups/107060975984482/ </shameless plug>)

-HelenBaby

So this year at Eurogamer we got our first chance to get hands on with the PS Vita. What were everyones first impressions?

Garvaos: As I wasn’t the biggest fan of the PSP I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by the Vita. After sitting through the developer session and getting some hands on time with the console I was pretty impressed as all the features manage to work well together to make for some great gameplay on the move.

RandomMan: I was surprised with how well the PS Vita turned out. Before the expo I thought not another Sony release, yet another console they have built up with no future, but alas I was so wrong it hurts me. Its now on the top of my buy list.

24: I was also very impressed. When it was announced I was unsure of the PS Vita as I did not think it would be a large enough move on from the PSP, but after seeing it in action my opinion has changed drastically. I definitely wouldn’t say no to one now!

Little Big Planet making good use of the touch screens

The PS Vita offers several new exciting features which set it apart from its predecessor the PSP. Which of these features impressed you the most? 

Garvaos: I was most impressed with the augmented reality. I am a big fan of this feature on the 3DS and the Vita seems to take it to the next level. The 3DS relies on AR cards for augmented reality to work, whereas the Vita on the other hand doesn’t rely on cards. Instead it is sophisticated enough to read and capture its surroundings and then add the characters and game elements into the environment without faffing about with bits of cardboard. The developer session we attended also demonstrated that a lot more games will be using the augmented reality function, which I was pleased to hear as I think it is something that the 3DS has often neglected.

24: Though the augmented reality was outstanding, for me the feature which impressed me the most was the combination of both front and rear touch screens. Before seeing the console in action I did not really understand the use of this feature, however seeing them used in Little Big Planet to control elements of the environment has left me really excited. Having both a rear and front touch screen allowed players to physically push elements of the level (such as blocks) forward and back, allowing them to solve puzzles and create steps to reach new areas of the levels. Using the two touch screens together made the levels truly interactive and gave an extra dimension to the game.

RandomMan: I was very impressed the combination of the front and rear touch screen, but also with the motion gyros as they allow you to do more than any previous hand held console. During my time with the Vita I played a game that allowed me to use all of these augmentations at once. It showed me just how much skill is required to play games using these new features and that you must use more dexterity then you normally would playing with other consoles. With all of these systems working as one in a single game, you can truly see how advanced the Vita is.

Reality Fighters showcases augmented reality on the Vita

We all got the chance to play some of the games due for release on the PS Vita. Which game did you play and what did you like/dislike about it? 

Garvaos: At Eurogamer we didn’t really have the chance to choose the game we wanted to play, instead we drew cards and whatever game was on the card you played. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on Wipeout 2048. Being a Wipeout fan since the PS1 I was more than happy with this. I played a couple of tracks, first of which using the front and rear touch pads to accelerate and fire weapons and gyros to steer. The control set up worked really well, I was especially impressed with the steering because in the past I have found steering with gyros on other consoles not that responsive. The second time round I switched to more traditional controls, using right bumper to accelerate, X for weapons and the left joystick to steer. This felt like the Wipeout I fell in love with back on the PS1. Graphically the game also looked amazing. As 2048 is set at the creation of the sport the setting looked a little like Steam-Punk meets Tron, which made for some fantastic looking tracks. The weapons are your standard Wipeout affair with rockets, machine guns and shields. If your new comer to Wipeout I would describe it as futuristic Mario Kart on speed, a great title for both newcomers and fans alike.

RandomMan: I randomly picked and played Little Deviants, a game that I had heard very little about. I found out that this is four different games in one, with each game requiring you to use different aspects of the PS Vita unique gaming system. For example, one game requires you to use the motion gyros and the front touch screen to look for portals and shoot some Little Deviants, another uses the rear touch screen to move a ball around to collect coins, and so on. I was extremely impressed with the unique way you play this game, but I did find it difficult to play to start with. It took me a while to get used to the controls and the motion gyros, but once I did get used to them the game was a lot of fun. The amount of concentration required for this game made it very immersive, however I was playing this game on a level and stationary surface. If I was playing this on a train, bus or car, I honestly believe this game would be very difficult to play. No matter how well you can maneuver with the front and back touch screen, the motion gyro system would probably just make you jump around too much. I enjoyed playing the game, but I feel a bit like Little Deviants was made just to show off the Vita’s new gaming system unlike some of the other games on show.

24: I was lucky enough to be able to play one of my favorite titles on offer for the Vita, Uncharted Golden Abyss. I was very impressed with the look of the game on the Vita. With the large high quality screen and the impressive capabilities of the Vita the game looked and played like a miniature version of the PS3 game. The game also made use of the PS Vitas new touch and motion capabilities. Though the touch and motion aspects made some elements of the game such as climbing and swinging out to ledges more enjoyable it did make the combat in the game feel a little disjointed. The main problem with the combat was that in order to shoot an enemy you needed to use the traditional shooting buttons (L to aim R to fire) but if you wanted to melee attack you had to use the touch screen.  Switching from tactical shooting to madly tapping the screen not only felt quite unnatural but also had the added bonus of looking quite frankly ridiculous. This would not be one to play on a train. Overall the game was very good, but given the choice I would pick a button melee attack over touch any day.

Wipeout 2048 showcased at Eurogamer this year

Now for the big question. Now that we have had the opportunity to try out both which would you be most likely to buy, the PS Vita or the Nintendo 3DS?

RandomMan: Before getting my hands on the PS Vita I would have chosen the 3DS without question, but after the expo I would say the Vita is taking the front running. With the 3DS you have the amazing 3D graphics and street pass, but the Vita has so much more. It has graphics that rivals the PS3, plus you have an instant messaging service that rivals any other console. I also have a PS3 so with the links to PSN I would be able to do so much more with the Vita then I would with a 3DS. Sony has done something that we previously thought was not possible and had made the PS Vita the pinnacle of gaming at this moment.

Garvaos: As I own a 3DS I am in two minds about this question. There is no doubt that the Vita is far superior to the 3DS with more features and gameplay elements, and the Vita will more than likely have its fair share of triple A titles that will rival the Nintendo hand held. However looking at them side by side I feel that the 3DS is more of a true portable console. The games that the 3DS supports you can simply pick up and play while you are on the move, whereas I see the Vita supporting more games that need at least a good hour of gameplay before you come to a save point. This takes away from the pick up and play element which is so important with a hand held console. The next generation portable console war is just beginning, will the 3DS stealing the Monster Hunter franchise from PlayStation’s grasp be enough? Only time will tell.

24: After my experiences at the expo for me it would have to be the PS Vita. The impressive quality of the screen and the graphics made me feel like the Vita was allowing me PS3 quality gaming on the move and to me the range of titles the console boasts is beyond compare. In addition to this the new front and rear touch screens added an extra dimension to puzzle and platform games such as Little Big Planet making the gameplay on the whole feel truly unique. As for 3D and augmented reality after viewing both consoles in action I now see that the Vita offers much innovative ways in which to use this technology. As with many things in life its not what you’ve got its how you use it, and my does the Vita know how to use it.

Uncharted makes the most of the impressive graphics capabilities

Still want to know more about the PS Vita? Then check out our coverage of the PS Vita Developer session for more info.

Until Next Time,

24

x

As my reviews are on the brief side I’ve decided to group them into two posts, as opposed to individual ones for each game, the tactic favoured by most of the staff members. This first part looks at Kid Icarus, Warhammer, Sonic Generations and Super Mario 3D Land!

Kid Icarus

Set for release in 2012, Kid Icarus is an upcoming Nintendo title for the 3DS. It is the third title in the Kid Icarus series, arriving 19 years after the second.

Kid Icarus was my biggest disappointment of Eurogamer. It was one of the games I was most looking forward to playing, but when I tried it I found I had to force myself to carry on. It’s not that it’s a bad game at all, it’s just composed of elements I’ve seen all before.

The main gameplay area, for example, reminded me of a cross between the Yu Suzuki classic Fantasy Zone and Face Raiders, the 3DS’s inbuilt Face Shooter game, except significantly less fun than the latter. Which comes free with 3DS…poor show.

The parts of the level where you controlled Pit walking around were better, I must say. They included some puzzle elements and felt almost like a Zelda dungeon. I rather enjoyed those bits and imagine that, if they had been emphasised more, this mini review would have ended up a lot more positive.

I can’t fault the game on its graphics. Pit looks his bishonen best as he flies through a very pretty landscape that is essentially Ancient Greece meets early 90s Sega, with evil anthropomorphic mushrooms and eye monsters ahoy! The skies are also fleshed out beautifully, in a spectrum of colours and to the backdrop of endless stars.

It’s a shame that the lovely graphics couldn’t save this game however. I suppose in a sense the jury’s still out on it, because I never got to try the multiplayer and, from what I’ve seen on YouTube, I must admit it looks quite good. But from what I’ve played so far, Kid Icarus seemed boring and uninspiring.

Warhammer 40,000 : Space Marine

Warhammer 40,000 : Space Marine is an Action/Third Person Shooter from THQ. This happens to be the latest game to be set in the Warhammer universe, and features familiar races from the franchise such as Orcs and the iconic space marines .

As always, lets start with the controls. The protagonist’s bolshy swagger makes him such a fun character to walk around with. When you encounter level elements you can interact with it glows, giving you the choice of executing the action with a button press when you stand close enough to it. The combat itself is extremely satisfying and switches between melee and ranged. Everything Captain Titus (the main character) does he does with as much force as possible, and its a joy to behold him swishing his sword into an enemy, watching lashes of blood descend, as well as pumping enemies with bullets from afar. Yes this is a game with a lot of blood and explosions.

The realistic graphics are fleshed out with high res textures, and are highly reactive to the special effects (such as illuminating in response to explosions). The development team have really outdone themselves in creating a murky, yet always clear, landscape where heaps is going on at any one moment. And the cut scenes look even better, the movements, facial expressions and clothing textures put them up there with the best CGI I’ve ever seen.

I would highly recommend Warhammer 40k : Space Marine to Warhammer fans and gamers alike. It is immersive, gorgeous, and downright fun to play.

Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations is being created to celebrate Sega’s mascot’s 20^th Anniversary. Interestingly, it lets you flip between ‘Classic Sonic’, a cute looking Sonic who uses the old signature moves of Sonic from the 16Bit era, such as spin dash, and ‘Modern Sonic’, who has Sonic’s current look and moves he’s amassed since the Dreamcast era, such as the Homing Attack. It’s also notable for blowing my mind and being, along with Mario Kart 7, the best game on show at Eurogamer, in my very humble opinion. Allow me to explain why.

The game is an absolute gem to play. There are just so many different routes to take and choices which can be made. Tr!ppy from nightsintodreams.com, who was looking after the Generations booth (she works for Sega), said that, even now, after having access to this game for months, she is still discovering new routes through the levels. And I can totally appreciate how that would be the case. This is, its fair to say, a game that just keeps on giving.

The visuals throw forth an absolute abundance of ideas at you as you traverse the beautiful, beautiful zones. Of course none of the old elements have been left out, to take the Green Hill zone as an example you’ve got palm trees, rocks, the iconic checkered walls, the totem poles, bridges… I think you get the picture! Running through the first Act of City Escape I was also very pleased to see posters hanging up (you’ve got to be lucky to spot these though, given the velocity in these levels!) featuring many a familiar face from Sonic’s history, such as Mighty the Armadillo and Bark the Polar Bear. And everything is just tied together so seamlessly, then augmented by well-thought out special effects, such as lighting and use of the blur lens, which work together to really create an impression of class.

The soundtrack pleases me greatly. What you’ve got are housey updates of the classic tracks, such as ‘Escape from the City’ which just sound so damn good with their thomping bass, I must say. It sounds very, very contemporary, and suits the Sonic franchise’s cheerful yet badass demeanour perfectly.

This game is set for release in November, and its fair to say that I absolutely cannot wait. Sega have created a masterpiece, and I hope both for their sake, and the sake of gamers everywhere, that this is instantly propelled to one of the best-selling Sonic games of all time. Because it deserves it.

Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D Land is a 3DS title due for release this November. A platform game, it has a time limit with a jump-flag at the end, just like the old style Mario games.

First of all : a rant. I was really disappointed that, given its name, all the retro references, at least those I noticed, related to the Mario Bros series. It’s very misleading to include ‘Land’ in the title when there are no references to the Super Mario Land (a series found on the original Gameboy). The neglect Nintendo have so far shown Super Mario Land blows my mind, it’s not as if the titles didn’t sell well! The first two both feature in the top ten best-selling Mario games ever, and have combined sales of 30 million units, which is pretty significant it has to be said…

Anyway back on topic! 3D Land felt, to me, like a cross between Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros, being quite inferior to the former, yet an improvement on the latter. Best handheld Mario to date? Quite possibly… but its nothing you haven’t seen before at the same time.

I’m not sure if it’s an issue with the current build that will be ironed out in the final release, but the game seemed to run very slowly, which was a further damper. The game was still fun though, with well designed levels and puzzles, and it’s always a joy to see Tanooki suit Mario.

Everything about the graphics, from the interface to the textures and models, have clearly taken big queues from Mario Galaxy. Which isn’t very original, but given how amazing Galaxy was it’s quite acceptable. The whole thing looks very shiny indeed.

Overall 3DS Land is good, but certainly nothing ground-breaking. It would probably be best appreciated by people who were fans of Mario back in the day who have taken a break and are looking to get back into the franchise, rather than people like myself who have been grinding the recent titles for all their worth. Average.

- HelenBaby

Ever since I moved to London about two years ago my friends and gaming contacts have been building up. The first week I lived in in englands capital I joined the DS London meet. A Meet up for DS gamers which happened once a fortnight in a pub in London where we would drink and play DS.

DS London is a fantastic community of people who are always welcoming new gamers to their community. This week they let me join their monthly Pod Cast where we talk all things Nintendo and DS.

This weeks Podcast talks about our predictions for Nintendo’s September 13th announcement and what we predict will be announced. We also talk about GamesCom, the success (or non success?) of streetpass on the 3DS and the rumours going round about the new thumbstick peripheral and the possible 2012 new model.

So click here and enjoy the DS London Podcast Episode 9 with Chibihobo, E-Clipz, MarkBoss and Garvaos.

If you want to keep up with things all DS London Follow the DSLondon twitter and check out the DSlondon Facebook Group.

Garv

The Nintendo Wii has gone from strength to strength ever since its release back in November 2006. It has captivated casual gamers and some of the hardcore elite in many different ways, it has even brought families together and has appealed to all ages, even the over 50′s.

With its more interactive approach to gaming as a whole it has sparked off all sorts of ideas in the games industry such as Playstation move and Microsoft’s Kinect. It has literally spawned a new way of gaming that has captured everyone’s imagination, but sadly all things must come to an end and I firmly believe that the Wii is definitely coming to the final hurdle of its life cycle.

The biggest clue that led me to this conclusion was the fact at E3 this year Nintendo announced the Wii’s successor. The Wii U. I could go on for a thousand words or so with my thoughts about the Wii U, but instead of boring you all half to death I have this one simple question. Nintendo… What the hell?

A games console that has a tablet controller sounds good in theory but in practise it looks as like a really big DS which is powered by separate console, which kind of defeats the point of both portable and home gaming. I could be wrong and it maybe the best thing since the NES but I’m not holding hope.

Urgh...facepalm!

Anyway back to the topic in hand, so the first big clue to the Wii’s life cycle coming to an end was that fact the Wii U has been announced, but surely with a new Nintendo console only being announced the Wii still has a year or so left in it? This brings me to my second clue. The latest announcement of a new model Wii console coming out and the discontinuation of the old model. Again something that a lot of consoles do, such as the PS3 slim and the new look 360, but something about this new Wii release doesn’t feel right. To me it feels a little desperate coming from Nintendo as they have announced the Wii U now and have also cut the price of the 3DS by a 3rd. To me it feels like they are milking the cash cow on the already successful Wii and are losing a chunk of cash from the 3DS.

The biggest and probably the most ridiculous thing to come out of this Wii console relaunch is the fact they are taking out the game cube backwards compatibility. True this maybe because all the gamers who wanted such a feature are happily content with a Wii console already but to have such a feature taken, still will annoy some of the hardcore gamers out there. This is because there have been some truly great Game Cube games, if gamers finally decided to get a Wii and wanted to play titles such as Zelda: Wind Waker or Tales of Symphonia (which were Game Cube titles), they would either have to buy a second-hand Wii or a game cube, not so bad I guess but if your anything like me and enjoy really shiny new things this could be a bit of an annoyance. Sure some of the Game Cube titles will be downloadable but things like Tales Of Symphonia will probably disappear into the video games vortex and will never be seen again.

Even though you were unappreciated you still had some awesome titles

The Wii is also the only console of this generation to not support full HD meaning that the PS3 and 360 have always have always had a slight upper hand, and now with Kinect and Move the lime light is slowly been sucked away from the Wii. There also hasn’t been that many huge titles that have come out for the console lately. Granted Zelda: Skyward Sword will probably give the Wii one final boost as that title has been highly anticipated for some time but after that craze has died down, I fear the Wii will just be pushed to one side once more.

The Wii is a good console, but now is the time to probably say so long and thanks for all the fish, but hey you we will still always have christmas time with the family.

Garv

When a new console comes around I have two gut feelings (one more than the average human) one, ‘oh goody a new console I have to save up half a year for’ and two, ‘ok so this, this and this just came out, is having a new console a bit too soon?’. As the new Nintendo is on the console far much earlier that I expected it to be, I ask is it too soon for the next-gen? and will Sony and Microsoft follow suit sooner than expected?

The Wii has been out for quite a long time now, first released in November 2006, it has been five whole years since the console first graced our living rooms. Since then a bucket load of ground breaking titles have come out, such as Zelda: Twighlight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 and Metroid Prime corruption just to name a few. But who can forget to mention games such as Wii Fit, sports and play to get the whole family involved with gaming. So in a sence, since its release the Wii has been pretty revolutionary in bringing the casual and the hardcore together.

So with the release of titles Zelda: Skyward sword on the horizon and the recent release of Kirby’s Epic yarn and Donkey Kong country returns is it way too early? I personally think it isn’t for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the Wii always had a couple of drawbacks compared to the PS3 and X360. The console isn’t HD, meaning that the graphics are still in a little bit last generation, meaning that the games aren’t really that breath-taking. Secondly there is no way for the console to play DVD’s, sure it links to the internet ok and you can stream videos from there but having the option for your console to play movies as well has always been something I have welcomed with open arms.

Sure those are both really small reasons, but with the recent release od the 3DS which pretty much blows the Wii out of the water, it is definitely time to greet the next generation Nintendo console. So what are we looking at here?

For starters the project has been dubbed Project Cafe by the Nintendo buffs and it has been said that it will definitely match or surpass the processing power of both the PS3 and the X360. The very interesting thing that has been going through the grape-vine though is that the consoles controllers will integrate a duel analogue design with also touch screen capabilities. I know it sounds a lot like the Dream Cast, but the screen may be an integral part into the consoles games and also have the capability to play full games from the controller.

IGN's project cafe concept picture

Not much else is known about the console yet, and all this information is based on word of mouth and rumour. There have also been whispers going round that the console might be called Stream. Sad thing is we are probably going to have to wait till E3 till we get some solid answers.

So is it time for a new Nintendo home console? In my opinion it is a big fat yes.

Garv.

So the 3DS has been out for a couple of weeks now, I have been one of the people lucky enough to get hold of Nintendo’s latest handheld console. With a major overhaul from its predecessor, the 3DS is more than just another update to the original DS – rather the start of the next generation of handheld gaming. So how does it hold up?

Hardware

As an owner of an original DS, I’ve never upgraded to a later model – while the Slim, DSi and DSXL added various improvements and changes to the system, I was happy enough with my original DS that I couldn’t justify the cost of the upgrade. However, with the 3DS offering a complete upgrade and new library of games, I felt it was worth the purchase – especially with 3DS titles being incompatible with the older models.

With much higher resolution screens, as well as a wider top screen, the 3DS offers a vast improvement in graphical capability to the original DS – and so far it doesn’t disappoint. The picture quality is crisp, clear and bright, and the graphics seem to be almost on par with the GameCube. The console features all of the regular features of the previous DS consoles (aside from the GBA port that was already ditched with the later DS consoles, one of the reasons I was always hesitant to upgrade), and a handy analogue slide-pad has been added, which is comfortable and feels far more comfortable than the often-awkward slide-pad included with the original PSP console – which was something I never really warmed to. On the negative side, the inclusion of the analogue means that the D-pad has been repositioned in a lower place, which I find a little uncomfortable for my thumb if used as a main control input for a game – more on this in a bit.

Games

Personally, I found the 3DS launch range to be a little lacking – while there’s a mix of games including Lego Star Wars III, Pilotwings Resort, Samurai Warriors: Chronicles and Pro EVolution Soccer 3DS, the £30 price tag made me a little wary of spending out on something I didn’t know too much about. I did pick up a copy of Super Street Fighter IV, however – aware that it was more or less a direct port of the 360 version that I know well.

My experience with Street Fighter IV has given me a good impression on the system. The title is near enough on-par with its console counterparts, including all of the characters and modes I’m used to seeing – such as Arcade, Trials and Versus – as well as including “Streetpass” functionality exclusive to the 3DS, which involves picking a selection of 5 character statues of varying strength, which are then battled against people you pass on the street, the winner receiving a new figure for their collection.

The title does sacrifice some graphical power from the home console versions, with battle stages being static, forgoing the hustle of people and animals moving around in the environment, but the actual battle mechanics are smooth, and the characters look pretty much up to scratch with the 360 version. The biggest flaw in my eyes is the lack of two buttons in comparison to the console version, meaning the touchscreen can be used to map extra buttons, or shortcuts for special moves. It’s handled fairly well, but it’s taking me a little bit of time to adapt to the control scheme. The shortcuts are good for newcomers and people looking for a more casual experience, but the change does mean having to adapt to a different style of control rather than a straightforward handheld port. That said, it’s easily one of the best handheld fighters I’ve played, and a great launch title for the console.

As for the 3D, it really adds some depth to the game’s visuals – while the backgrounds lack movement, the 3D gives the game a real sense of depth, as though the characters are moving within a hollow space. To begin with I found the 3D gave me a bit of a headache, although I seem to have gotten used to it now. I was a bit pessimistic about the 3D from the start, but so far it’s been more impressive than I expected – I actually find turning the “3D slider” on just a little enhances the look of the graphics while not adding any major 3D visuals to the game. However, I really want to stress that the 3DS is an impressive console even without the 3D – something I see as an added bonus rather than a selling feature – something I think Nintendo have rather neglected with half of their adverts showing the back of the console with people screaming “Oooh!” and “Aaaah!”.

I still enjoy playing DS games on my 3DS, and am currently enjoying Kingdom Hearts re:Coded and Pokemon White. The games run perfectly well in my experience so far (having tested quite a few titles), although I did find that one or two titles seemed to look a little different upscaled to the 3DS’s resolution, particularly Castlevania, whose colours seemed a little off at times. That said, I’m happy with its compatibility, and will no doubt be playing more DS games on it in future.

All DS titles allow you to use either the analogue or D-pad to control the D-pad input for the games. This is good in some cases, such as Kingdom Hearts that have 360 degree movement – I actually preferred an analogue control than a traditional D-pad. But on the flip side, I find that titles such as Pokemon with 4-way movement are a little awkward with the analogue, and the repositioned D-pad is a little uncomfortable – I haven’t really decided which control is more comfortable, but neither feels as good as the older DS for games that suit the D-pad better. It’s not a game-breaker and I’ll be playing these games on my 3DS all the same, but obviously only one of the directional controllers could take prime position on the console and the D-pad has had to make room for the new analogue stick.

Online

Another new feature with the 3DS is it’s improvements upon its online features. While older games on the DS relied on game-pack specific codes, the 3DS implements a universal console friend code that applies to all games. Sadly the friend list is fairly limited in functionality – no doubt Nintendo covering their backs in regard to sheltering children from having contact with anyone dodgy – it’s much better than the previous system. Using wifi you can connect to a regular router and connect to online services in a similar way to that of other consoles, my personal experience with Super Street Fighter IV’s random matchups proved to work well, and be lag free. I’ve yet to actually play against a friend online, though.

In-Built Extras

The console comes with one of the fullest selections of in-built software seen on a handheld system, and to begin with I actually found myself playing with these features more than Street Fighter. Some of these features are gimmicky and lose their appeal quickly, while others are solid additions that are well worth including:

- 3D Camera

In-built into the console are 3 cameras – two pointing outward, and one inwards. The inward camera can only take flat images, but the two outer cameras are able to merge two photos from different angles to create a 3D image. The images are of fairly low resolution so don’t expect the console to double as a decent digital camera or anything, but its a nice addition. 3D photos are a fairly cool feature – and while I’m not sure I’ll be using it regularly it’s interesting to play around with – you can really see the difference between a 2D and 3D shot (3D photos are saved in both 2D and 3D formats, which can then be exported to SD card – although I don’t personally have anything else that can view the 3D pictures!). There are also some tools that allow you to manipulate images and add your own graffiti etc, but it wasn’t really something that appealed to me.

- Sound

The console also features a sound tool – which allows you to record sounds using the in-built microphone, which you can then manipulate by altering the pitch and adding various effects, but generally seems like a pretty useless gimmick to play around with. However, what did impress me is that the console is able to play music MP3 files off of an SD card at decent quality, and can also double as an MP3 player by closing the lid with the sound playing and plugging in some headphones. Nice as a free extra, and not something I was expecting. It’s also been said that some games might be able to implement music playback at a later date, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

- Games

Also included in the console are a couple of games that implement the in-built camera. Face Raiders allows you to take photographs of your own and friends’ faces, which it then manipulates into a 3D face (which animates with mouth and eye movements) for use in the mini-game. The title uses the in-built gyroscopes to know which direction you are holding the console in, and the screen displays the 3D faces coming at you from various directions around you, with the camera showing you the room around you in whatever direction you aim it. The basic idea of the game is that you have to aim the camera to shoot various faces that fly toward you to score points. It’s a good bit of fun, with more faces adding to the game as you take more photos.

The other games are AR Games, or “Augmented Reality”. Included with the console are a pack of cards with different designs on – one of a box with a question mark, and the others a selection of various Nintendo characters such as Link and Mario. The character cards are used for photography, and the way it works is this: you put the card on a flat surface, and aim the camera at the card. This will display the surface on your screen (as if you were looking at it through a camera), and from there the console builds up a 3D model of the respective character “on top” of the card. As it uses the card to see the relationship between the card’s position and the camera, you can actually move the camera around the card to view the character from different directions, and can also take photos. Putting multiple character cards down will result in all of them being displayed at once, so long as they are all within the camera’s sight. You move the models around with the d-pad, or switch them to another pose using the analogue – and then take photos as you please.

The question mark box activates the AR Games themselves. Using the same technology as the other cards, the console builds a 3D model of the selected game upon the card. There are a selection of games, such as 3D shooting, which involves moving around the object to shoot targets. Another game involves aligning the camera with a ball in a snooker-like manner, and then attempting to shoot the ball around various environments to holes around an environment that changes for each hole. There is also a fishing type game, that creates a virtual pool of water on the card, with the motion of the console used to direct the rod, lowering the hook into the water and pulling it up when you get a bite. While the games are a good bit of fun, they are all fairly short and can be completed in only five minutes or so each – I would have happily played a few more stages of target shooting. However, I get the impression that the in-built games are more of a tech-demo of the kind of things that future titles could include using the camera and AR technology.

- Pedometer

Another feature included is an in-built pedometer. For every 100 steps you make while the console is on sleep mode (closed but powered on), you earn a “Game Coin”, of which you can earn a maximum of 10 per day. These can then be exchanged for various features on the console itself, as well as in supporting 3DS titles. The console has an in-built “Mii Plaza”, where you can create Mii’s an exchange them with others using StreetPass, which allow you to unlock pieces of various puzzles (of Nintendo characters), or a mini-RPG that lets you send other people’s Mii’s to work through a fairly automated RPG style dungeon – basically the more Mii’s you send in, the further into the dungeon they can progress before giving up. Using play coins, you can purchase random puzzle pieces, or a generic unit to send into the StreetPass Quest. It all seems mainly like Nintendo are trying to bribe people to get out of the house and walk around (which isn’t a bad thing), but don’t expect anything too deep. Street Fighter IV also uses play coins for example, in order to purchase random figurines in exchange for coins.

- Future Features

A future update will be adding an online store to the 3DS, which I look forward to – with a 2GB SD card included with the console there should be plenty of room for DSWare titles in the future. Nintendo are also planning to add an internet browser at a similar time. A firmware update has also given us a sample 3D video to view (of real people and plants, among other things in a montage), to suggest we may be getting some kind of video support at a later date. To keep track of updates (amongst other things), the console also includes a notification feature that can receive messages from Nintendo and other games using its wireless, with a handy LED by the right shoulder button to notify you of new messages.

Conclusion

Overall the 3DS has impressed me. Not really looking for the “3D experience” that the console is usually marketed at, the 3DS offers an overall upgrade to the DS concept with a more powerful system and plenty of potential for firmware updates, as well as a fantastic line-up of future titles – I for one am looking forward to Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and Resident Evil: Revelations in the next year or so. The online features are promising, and much more accessible than anything I’ve seen on a handheld so far, but it’ll be a bit of time until some of the functions are opened up. If you enjoyed the DS, the 3DS is a worthwhile purchase with plenty to offer, as well as the future of Nintendo’s handheld games. I can’t wait to see what Nintendo will do with the console in future.

-Leon