By Aaron N
Kid Icarus: Uprising was one of the first games announced at E3 when Nintendo first unveiled the Nintendo 3DS. "Uprising" brought the main character Pit back to a title game for the first time since 1991. The young angel's popularity has skyrocketed since his appearance in the latest installment in the Super Smash Brothers series so it wasn't too surprising that a new Kid Icarus game would be made.
Graphics:
Kid Icarus: Uprising's graphics have a lot of layers to them. First you must talk about the obvious 3D aspect. I feel like the 3D in this game was left in the background. It was there to add depth and not to make things stand out. This type of approach was very successful for this game. But with this nature of 3D there came times while playing that the screen became blurred. Some times this would happen at bad times and it would affect the gameplay. The other layer of graphics is the styleization of the game. It stayed with the traditional cartoonish graphics that Nintendo has used frequently as of late but it also added in some realistic graphics. The space battles were very crisp while the on-foot battles always had a unique look to each level.
Story:
The story for "Uprising" was a convoluted one. But I still enjoyed it. The convoluted nature of the story overall did not take anything away from the gameplay. It starts with Pit, who is guided by his goddess Palutena, taking on a revived Medusa and her troops. You have to battle through her three main generals, along the way acquiring weapons and gear needed for the battle with Medusa. But this is where the game takes a crazy turn. In a neat surprise it is revealed after you defeat Medusa that Hades was the man behind her revival, he actually interrupts the end credits which was cool. But that is just where the craziness begins. You have to fight against the goddess of the Earth, Viridi, who has decided that she must destroy humanity. But then in the middle of stopping her, a mysterious alien armada threatens Earth and you must join forces with the forces of nature to stop them. But you can only defeat them after defeating the sun god who has fused with the alien forces. After defeating them the game jumps a few years into the future where an evil being was released from prison and took over Palutena's body. So you must use Viridi's help you save Pit's goddess. Trust me when you are playing the game it makes a little more sense than I can make it sound. After all these events occur you can finally take on Hades and save the world...right? Well not really. You do take on the evil bohemeth but after going inside his body and destroying his heart you must meet with an old sage who has the key to finally getting rid of Hades. After acquiring a giant mech you must pilot it against Hades and defeat him. And after you defeat him the end credits roll for real this time. I hope I did an adequate job of conveying the story but it would really take a whole article to explain it in depth and unfortunately I must move on to the gameplay.
Gameplay:
Each level had two parts, a flight battle and an on-foot battle. The controls for the game was a unique experience. You use the stylist to aim the weapons, the control stick to move, and the L-buttom to shoot your weapon. This configuration hurts your hand after a while but I can definitely see after playing the flight battles that they could use this for a unique way to play a Star Fox game in the future. A big part of the gameplay that I wanted to touch on briefly was the dialogue. While making it still kid friendly, the dialogue still would entertain the older audience. Pit comes off as a happy go lucky protagonist but he's not annoying in that sense. You want to root for him to win. Every character has a different way of talking and a different personality. They play off of each other very well. The only problem I came across with this was that they talk during the battles and sometimes I could not understand what they were saying because I had to pay attention to the battle.
Music:
Kid Icarus: Uprising had an amazing soundtrack. Every level had its own music that fit the atmosphere that was being projected. It made me get engrossed in the game and left me asking for more.
Overall:
I thoroughly enjoyed playing through Kid Icarus: Uprising. I enjoyed almost every aspect of the game and I was disappointed that I finished it. The atmosphere was reminiscent of some of the past Legend of Zelda games. They created a gigantic universe to play in with many fantastic characters that they can build so much off of. While I am told that they do not plan on making any sequels, I hope that they change their minds because it would be a shame to waste so much potential for a successful franchise.
Kid Icarus: Uprising gets a 9/10
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Monday, June 11, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Column: Nintendo Top Games Part 2
By Aaron N
In 1996 the Nintendo released it's third major home gaming console, the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 had a plethora of popular games, many of which are considered some of the best of all time. It is hard to pick just a top five but I gave it a shot. Starting the top five is Mario Kart 64. Mario Kart 64 was a sequel to the very popular game for the Super Nintendo. It was a very fun racing game and seeing three dimensional racing was amazing. It was a game that you could just pop in with friends and play for hours. Each character had their own style, advantages and disadvantages. This is the best Mario Kart game in the series and it will be very hard to top it in the future. The next game on the list, coming in at number four is the best party game of all time, Goldeneye 64. I can't tell you how many hours we logged into this game at my sleepovers. It is the best first person shooter ever made and its popularity came out of nowhere. The multiplayer part of this game really made this game awesome. The story mode went along with the movie of the same name and it was good in its own right. This game will always be at the top of party games. The number three game to ever come out for the Nintendo 64 is Star Fox 64. This game took everything that worked with the original and improved upon it tenfold. It also had audible dialogue instead of just grunts when your teammates would talk to you. The music is catchy, and the atmosphere is one where you feel yourself in the game. Couple this with the invention of the rumble pack, and you have a complete gaming experience. The second best game to come out for the N64 is the flagship title Mario 64. Mario 64 will always be known as one of the groundbreaking games in gaming history. It introduced us to the world of 360 degree motion. The first time you saw Mario jump into a painting is something that will never be forgotten. The story was the usual Mario story, but that didn't matter. So what does it take to top a revolutionary title like Mario 64? It takes a classic hero and a classic villain reimagined. It takes a gripping story filled with colorful characters and mini-quests that will keep you playing for months. It takes a green tunic, a shield, and a sword. Yes, I am talking about what some consider to be the absolute best game ever to be made, and it's hard to disagree. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece in game form. Everything about this game was at the top of its class. This is the quintessential Zelda game. The graphics were unbelievable for its time. The gameplay, from riding Epona to taking on dungeon bosses, is the best ever. The puzzle missions inside the dungeons are fantastic. The story spanning across seven years is better than a movie. The game makes you want to come back time after time to replay it. Ocarina of Time is arguably the best game ever made and it is easily the best game for the Nintendo 64. From a masterpiece of a game to what I think is the most underrated game to come out for the Nintendo 64 which is Diddy Kong Racing. This game at first may look like a Mario Kart clone but it is much more than that. There is a story involving an evil giant pig named Wizpig who rules over the island and it is your duty to defeat him by winning races and eventually facing off against the flying pig in a race for the world. There are secrets and tons of fun courses to play and it is a great feeling to finally beat Wizpig. It is a rare combination of a racer and an adventure game that also includes some multiplayer action in there.
In 2001 Nintendo released the Gamecube. While there is no arguement that this is the weakest of the five Nintendo consoles, it still has a good group of games for it. My number five for this system is Super Mario Sunshine. As with almost every franchise to release a game for the Gamecube, this is sometimes considered to be a weak game. I agree that it did not match its predessesors in the Mario series but it was still a fun game to play. The addition of FLUDD was a cool new part of the game and it gave some inventive ways of playing. There are weak moments in this game but I still feel that it was a fun game to play. Next, ranking in at number four is Super Smash Brothers Melee. Melee is one of the most popular party games of all time and it is easily the most popular game in the Smash Brothers series. It has just the right amount of characters available to play as and there aren't annoying distractions to deal with when playing. I still prefer to play this game with friends over the newer one. They took what was made in the original game and improved on every aspect. The characters had more attacks and there were more levels. It was just a fun game to play. Number three for the Gamecube is Metroid Prime. This was my first Metroid game that I played and it did not disappoint. The way they utilized the different types of guns in the different environments was fantastic. The story was fun and the battles in first person were fantastic. The mood set in the game was consistent and it set Metroid apart from other games. The runner-up for the Gamecube is F-zero GX. This was a fast paced thrill racing game set in the future. It even had a storyline to go with the racing if you chose to play it which wasn't bad. It was obviously well thought out and not just made in order to give it something different. This is a game you can go back and play over and over. It was my favorite racing game for the Gamecube. Now the best game for the Gamecube was a launch title. There were quite a few games to be released with the system, with the most well-known being either Pikmin or Luigi's Mansion. But my favorite game for the Gamecube was neither of these. It is in fact the game that I got with the system, which was Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2. As a huge Star Wars fan I had to pick this game up. It was the game I would play when I went to Toys R Us to demo the Gamecube before it came out. The graphics were unbelievable when I first played it. I had so much fun flying through the Death Star trench and everything all the way to the attack on the final Death Star, "we gotta buy more time!" The game is a must get for Star Wars fans and for fans of flight simulators in general. The most underrated game for Gamecube is Star Fox Adventures. I feel like this game got a lot of hate because it was a different type of Star Fox game and that it was obviously trying to be a Zelda type game. While both of these is true I still had fun playing it and I found myself into the story. I still find it cool with the ultimate twist where it is Andross' final try at ruling the world. It isn't the greatest game at all, but I feel like it deserves more credit than it gets.
Now to the current Nintendo system, which was released in 2006 and is called the Wii. This system seems to be having an impact on the undustry that is similar to the N64. It has caused a motion control revolution that you now see for every major system. The fifth best game so far for the Wii is Super Mario Galaxy 2. Mario Galaxy 2 was not as good as its predecessor but it was still a fun game to play. It takes the usual Mario engine and adds very few to it. It is basically just an addition to the first game and doesn't add much more to it but you still feel thriled to play it. Number four for this generation is Donkey Kong Country Returns. DKC Returns was an extremely fun game to play and it brought me back to the Super Nintendo. It had a unique story and it had a different style of gameplay than other past sidescrollers. I feel that it could possibly usher in a new type of game that is a mixture between 2D and 3D graphics. This was Donkey Kong's return game and it didn't disappoint. The third best game for the Wii introduced us all to the world of motion controls. Wii Sports was the game that came with every Wii system. It had five sports you could play: Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Baseball, and Boxing. It was a great way to get all of us used to the motion controls and I still find myself putting this one in to play some tennis. The second best game for the Wii is Mario's return to form. Super Mario Galaxy introduced us to a new way to play a Mario game. It made us all dizzy but at the same time we were having a blast going through each world. It was set up similar to Mario 64 where you had a world to start with and you had to find each planet to go to and there were places to explore outside the levels. It was widely popular and it felt like a Mario game. It brought about new power ups for Mario. The last level and battle with Bowser has an epic feel to it and you actually do feel like you are playing for the fate of the galaxy. This game is a must play for all gamers. The best game for this generation is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Skyward sword was the most recent Zelda installment. This game is the first game chronologically in the franchise and it had a very epic feel to it. There were many side quests to keep you occupied if the 35-hour story wasn't enough for you. Skyward sword took the wii motion controlls and used them to their fullest for a complete video game experience like nothing ever before on the Wii. The most underrated game for the Wii is Super Mario Sluggers. This is a baseball game that is actually dissimilar to Wii Sports. I have played this game more than other Wii game and it is always fun to put it on and just play a nine inning game and taunt the other players. It is a fun game to shut your mind off and play. Nintendo has released some of the most iconic game ever made. They were the ones that started the whole home gaming revolution and they continue to be the flag bearer for the industry. They have had their good days and their bad days, but you can always count on Nintendo to capitalize on their most popular franchises. It seems like their only hiccup so far was the Gamecube but they were able to bounce back in a huge way and recapture the industry with the Wii. We will see where the Wii ends up and what Nintendo does when the next generation of consoles with the wii-u.
In 1996 the Nintendo released it's third major home gaming console, the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 had a plethora of popular games, many of which are considered some of the best of all time. It is hard to pick just a top five but I gave it a shot. Starting the top five is Mario Kart 64. Mario Kart 64 was a sequel to the very popular game for the Super Nintendo. It was a very fun racing game and seeing three dimensional racing was amazing. It was a game that you could just pop in with friends and play for hours. Each character had their own style, advantages and disadvantages. This is the best Mario Kart game in the series and it will be very hard to top it in the future. The next game on the list, coming in at number four is the best party game of all time, Goldeneye 64. I can't tell you how many hours we logged into this game at my sleepovers. It is the best first person shooter ever made and its popularity came out of nowhere. The multiplayer part of this game really made this game awesome. The story mode went along with the movie of the same name and it was good in its own right. This game will always be at the top of party games. The number three game to ever come out for the Nintendo 64 is Star Fox 64. This game took everything that worked with the original and improved upon it tenfold. It also had audible dialogue instead of just grunts when your teammates would talk to you. The music is catchy, and the atmosphere is one where you feel yourself in the game. Couple this with the invention of the rumble pack, and you have a complete gaming experience. The second best game to come out for the N64 is the flagship title Mario 64. Mario 64 will always be known as one of the groundbreaking games in gaming history. It introduced us to the world of 360 degree motion. The first time you saw Mario jump into a painting is something that will never be forgotten. The story was the usual Mario story, but that didn't matter. So what does it take to top a revolutionary title like Mario 64? It takes a classic hero and a classic villain reimagined. It takes a gripping story filled with colorful characters and mini-quests that will keep you playing for months. It takes a green tunic, a shield, and a sword. Yes, I am talking about what some consider to be the absolute best game ever to be made, and it's hard to disagree. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece in game form. Everything about this game was at the top of its class. This is the quintessential Zelda game. The graphics were unbelievable for its time. The gameplay, from riding Epona to taking on dungeon bosses, is the best ever. The puzzle missions inside the dungeons are fantastic. The story spanning across seven years is better than a movie. The game makes you want to come back time after time to replay it. Ocarina of Time is arguably the best game ever made and it is easily the best game for the Nintendo 64. From a masterpiece of a game to what I think is the most underrated game to come out for the Nintendo 64 which is Diddy Kong Racing. This game at first may look like a Mario Kart clone but it is much more than that. There is a story involving an evil giant pig named Wizpig who rules over the island and it is your duty to defeat him by winning races and eventually facing off against the flying pig in a race for the world. There are secrets and tons of fun courses to play and it is a great feeling to finally beat Wizpig. It is a rare combination of a racer and an adventure game that also includes some multiplayer action in there.
In 2001 Nintendo released the Gamecube. While there is no arguement that this is the weakest of the five Nintendo consoles, it still has a good group of games for it. My number five for this system is Super Mario Sunshine. As with almost every franchise to release a game for the Gamecube, this is sometimes considered to be a weak game. I agree that it did not match its predessesors in the Mario series but it was still a fun game to play. The addition of FLUDD was a cool new part of the game and it gave some inventive ways of playing. There are weak moments in this game but I still feel that it was a fun game to play. Next, ranking in at number four is Super Smash Brothers Melee. Melee is one of the most popular party games of all time and it is easily the most popular game in the Smash Brothers series. It has just the right amount of characters available to play as and there aren't annoying distractions to deal with when playing. I still prefer to play this game with friends over the newer one. They took what was made in the original game and improved on every aspect. The characters had more attacks and there were more levels. It was just a fun game to play. Number three for the Gamecube is Metroid Prime. This was my first Metroid game that I played and it did not disappoint. The way they utilized the different types of guns in the different environments was fantastic. The story was fun and the battles in first person were fantastic. The mood set in the game was consistent and it set Metroid apart from other games. The runner-up for the Gamecube is F-zero GX. This was a fast paced thrill racing game set in the future. It even had a storyline to go with the racing if you chose to play it which wasn't bad. It was obviously well thought out and not just made in order to give it something different. This is a game you can go back and play over and over. It was my favorite racing game for the Gamecube. Now the best game for the Gamecube was a launch title. There were quite a few games to be released with the system, with the most well-known being either Pikmin or Luigi's Mansion. But my favorite game for the Gamecube was neither of these. It is in fact the game that I got with the system, which was Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2. As a huge Star Wars fan I had to pick this game up. It was the game I would play when I went to Toys R Us to demo the Gamecube before it came out. The graphics were unbelievable when I first played it. I had so much fun flying through the Death Star trench and everything all the way to the attack on the final Death Star, "we gotta buy more time!" The game is a must get for Star Wars fans and for fans of flight simulators in general. The most underrated game for Gamecube is Star Fox Adventures. I feel like this game got a lot of hate because it was a different type of Star Fox game and that it was obviously trying to be a Zelda type game. While both of these is true I still had fun playing it and I found myself into the story. I still find it cool with the ultimate twist where it is Andross' final try at ruling the world. It isn't the greatest game at all, but I feel like it deserves more credit than it gets.
Now to the current Nintendo system, which was released in 2006 and is called the Wii. This system seems to be having an impact on the undustry that is similar to the N64. It has caused a motion control revolution that you now see for every major system. The fifth best game so far for the Wii is Super Mario Galaxy 2. Mario Galaxy 2 was not as good as its predecessor but it was still a fun game to play. It takes the usual Mario engine and adds very few to it. It is basically just an addition to the first game and doesn't add much more to it but you still feel thriled to play it. Number four for this generation is Donkey Kong Country Returns. DKC Returns was an extremely fun game to play and it brought me back to the Super Nintendo. It had a unique story and it had a different style of gameplay than other past sidescrollers. I feel that it could possibly usher in a new type of game that is a mixture between 2D and 3D graphics. This was Donkey Kong's return game and it didn't disappoint. The third best game for the Wii introduced us all to the world of motion controls. Wii Sports was the game that came with every Wii system. It had five sports you could play: Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Baseball, and Boxing. It was a great way to get all of us used to the motion controls and I still find myself putting this one in to play some tennis. The second best game for the Wii is Mario's return to form. Super Mario Galaxy introduced us to a new way to play a Mario game. It made us all dizzy but at the same time we were having a blast going through each world. It was set up similar to Mario 64 where you had a world to start with and you had to find each planet to go to and there were places to explore outside the levels. It was widely popular and it felt like a Mario game. It brought about new power ups for Mario. The last level and battle with Bowser has an epic feel to it and you actually do feel like you are playing for the fate of the galaxy. This game is a must play for all gamers. The best game for this generation is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Skyward sword was the most recent Zelda installment. This game is the first game chronologically in the franchise and it had a very epic feel to it. There were many side quests to keep you occupied if the 35-hour story wasn't enough for you. Skyward sword took the wii motion controlls and used them to their fullest for a complete video game experience like nothing ever before on the Wii. The most underrated game for the Wii is Super Mario Sluggers. This is a baseball game that is actually dissimilar to Wii Sports. I have played this game more than other Wii game and it is always fun to put it on and just play a nine inning game and taunt the other players. It is a fun game to shut your mind off and play. Nintendo has released some of the most iconic game ever made. They were the ones that started the whole home gaming revolution and they continue to be the flag bearer for the industry. They have had their good days and their bad days, but you can always count on Nintendo to capitalize on their most popular franchises. It seems like their only hiccup so far was the Gamecube but they were able to bounce back in a huge way and recapture the industry with the Wii. We will see where the Wii ends up and what Nintendo does when the next generation of consoles with the wii-u.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Column: Nintendo Top Games Part 1
By Aaron N
Now to start this article I must first say that I am a Nintendo fanboy. I have just about every system Nintendo has ever released, yes including the vaunted Virtual Boy. Nintendo is my favorite video game company, it is the one I grew up with and it is the one that I currently play the most. So for this column I want to talk about all five home consoles made by Nintendo and the top five games for each system and a game for each system that I feel is underrated by the vast majority of gamers, and with the announcement of the next Nintendo console dubbed "Project Cafe" this is a fitting article.
Nintendo made gaming history in 1985 by releasing the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America. The NES was originally called the Famicon, short for Family Computer, and was released in Japan in 1983. The NES brought arcade style gaming into the living room and this is when home gaming took off. The fifth best game, all of these are my opinion, for the Nintendo Entertainment System is Super Mario Brothers. This game started it all. This is the quintessential platformer and this is the game that got everyone hooked. And it also introduced us to what is arguably the most memorable music in game history. It will go down as one of the best games of all time. It will be forever known as the game that started it all. Number four on this list is a personal favorite: Godzilla. I am a huge fan of the Godzilla series and this game was a favorite of mine growing up. You fight your way through planets eventually facing off against the classic monsters in the Godzilla franchise. It's a fun button masher and it's packed with fun enemies and great music, it is simply a very fun game to play. The third best NES game is Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. This was a game that got you hooked from the start. The simplistic dodge and punch routine was easy to master and each boxer was like a puzzle you had to solve. Each boxer had a unique personality and once again the music was catchy and memorable. This is a game that you can truly pick up at anytime and have fun. Number two on my list is none other than the original Legend of Zelda. This was the first game to have an overworld that you could explore in between levels. It was also one of the first to have the save feature. It introduced us to our hero Link who would go on to be almost as famous as Mario. Also, this was the first game to have a score to it. The music was created as if it was a concert piece and it really showed. Overall this is one of the pillars of gaming and it went on to be known as one of the most important games ever made. Finally, the best game to be made for the Nintendo Entertainment System is Super Mario Bros 3. This game was the top grossing game of all time when it came out. The hype for this game was remarkable. It was the first true sequel to Super Mario Bros to be released in the United States. It took everything great about the original and improved it. There were now overworld maps to go to in between levels. There were more power-ups for Mario to use, new bad guys, and of course King Koopa at the end of the game. The levels were no longer formulaic, there was a different boss for each world. This game was basically 8-bit perfection. The game that I feel is the most underrated game for the NES is Godzilla. This game is just really fun to play. The music is top notch and the worlds that you play in are colorful and eye-catching. I can find myself playing this game over and over and the difficulty is high. I would recommend any Godzilla fan pick this game up and try it out.
Nintendo followed the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System with the aplty named Super Nintendo, which was released in American in 1991. Starting my top five for the Super Nintendo is the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I remember watching my brother play this when I was younger and we both were enthralled with the world that was created. It was our first taste of the Zelda world and boy was it a good one. I remember watching him finally make it to Ganon, it was an amazing experience. "A Link to the Past" brought Zelda back to its roots and explanded on the foundation that was placed in the original game. Number four on my list is Donkey Kong Country 2. I never owned the original so I only played it a few times when I rented it. So DKC 2 was my first taste into the Kong series, and I loved every minute of it. The gameplay was great, the graphics were top-notch, the music was catchy. I still have fun when I throw this game on and try it out. Number three on my list is Star Fox. This game was really the first to have somewhat three-dimensional figures and you could fly diagonally. It was somewhat a precursor of things to come in the next generation of systems. The music was fun to listen to and the enemies were fun to shoot down. It was the beginning of a classic franchise. The runner-up for the SNES is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes 4: Turtles in Time. This game was a must have for all fans of the TMNT franchise. It was a fun button masher and it has brought me back many times to play it again. The levels are each unique in their own right and each boss is like a puzzle you need to solve, and when you finally solve the Super Shredder puzzle, it is a sense of satisfaction. Finally, the best game to be made for the Super Nintendo is none other than they first game to be made for it, and that is Super Mario World. Nintendo followed one of the plumber's most popular outings with an absolute gem of a game. It helped that this was the first game that you experienced the new 16-bit system on. In the game itself you were able to have more leeway with where you explored on the map. There were more secrets and different routes to take. It took a while to complete the whole game and unlock every part. This game also introduced everyone to Yoshi, who would go on to be a staple of the Mario series. This game improved on everything that was ever used in a mario game and still was able to create new aspects of the classic series. Now to move on from a widely popular game to what I feel is the most underrated game of the Super Nintendo, and that is Battle Clash. Battle Clash utilized the Super Scope bazooka that was released for the system. The story is that there is a battle tournament of giant robots. The title character enters the tournament in order to get to the boss of it all, Thanatos, who killed his father. You will use different weapons and different strategies in order to make it through the tournament and Thanatos is one bad man. It is a fun game that I feel anyone would like to play.
Part two of this article will be appearing shortly, it will start with the Nintendo 64 and go through to thecurrent console, the Nintendo Wii.
Now to start this article I must first say that I am a Nintendo fanboy. I have just about every system Nintendo has ever released, yes including the vaunted Virtual Boy. Nintendo is my favorite video game company, it is the one I grew up with and it is the one that I currently play the most. So for this column I want to talk about all five home consoles made by Nintendo and the top five games for each system and a game for each system that I feel is underrated by the vast majority of gamers, and with the announcement of the next Nintendo console dubbed "Project Cafe" this is a fitting article.
Nintendo made gaming history in 1985 by releasing the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America. The NES was originally called the Famicon, short for Family Computer, and was released in Japan in 1983. The NES brought arcade style gaming into the living room and this is when home gaming took off. The fifth best game, all of these are my opinion, for the Nintendo Entertainment System is Super Mario Brothers. This game started it all. This is the quintessential platformer and this is the game that got everyone hooked. And it also introduced us to what is arguably the most memorable music in game history. It will go down as one of the best games of all time. It will be forever known as the game that started it all. Number four on this list is a personal favorite: Godzilla. I am a huge fan of the Godzilla series and this game was a favorite of mine growing up. You fight your way through planets eventually facing off against the classic monsters in the Godzilla franchise. It's a fun button masher and it's packed with fun enemies and great music, it is simply a very fun game to play. The third best NES game is Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. This was a game that got you hooked from the start. The simplistic dodge and punch routine was easy to master and each boxer was like a puzzle you had to solve. Each boxer had a unique personality and once again the music was catchy and memorable. This is a game that you can truly pick up at anytime and have fun. Number two on my list is none other than the original Legend of Zelda. This was the first game to have an overworld that you could explore in between levels. It was also one of the first to have the save feature. It introduced us to our hero Link who would go on to be almost as famous as Mario. Also, this was the first game to have a score to it. The music was created as if it was a concert piece and it really showed. Overall this is one of the pillars of gaming and it went on to be known as one of the most important games ever made. Finally, the best game to be made for the Nintendo Entertainment System is Super Mario Bros 3. This game was the top grossing game of all time when it came out. The hype for this game was remarkable. It was the first true sequel to Super Mario Bros to be released in the United States. It took everything great about the original and improved it. There were now overworld maps to go to in between levels. There were more power-ups for Mario to use, new bad guys, and of course King Koopa at the end of the game. The levels were no longer formulaic, there was a different boss for each world. This game was basically 8-bit perfection. The game that I feel is the most underrated game for the NES is Godzilla. This game is just really fun to play. The music is top notch and the worlds that you play in are colorful and eye-catching. I can find myself playing this game over and over and the difficulty is high. I would recommend any Godzilla fan pick this game up and try it out.
Nintendo followed the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System with the aplty named Super Nintendo, which was released in American in 1991. Starting my top five for the Super Nintendo is the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I remember watching my brother play this when I was younger and we both were enthralled with the world that was created. It was our first taste of the Zelda world and boy was it a good one. I remember watching him finally make it to Ganon, it was an amazing experience. "A Link to the Past" brought Zelda back to its roots and explanded on the foundation that was placed in the original game. Number four on my list is Donkey Kong Country 2. I never owned the original so I only played it a few times when I rented it. So DKC 2 was my first taste into the Kong series, and I loved every minute of it. The gameplay was great, the graphics were top-notch, the music was catchy. I still have fun when I throw this game on and try it out. Number three on my list is Star Fox. This game was really the first to have somewhat three-dimensional figures and you could fly diagonally. It was somewhat a precursor of things to come in the next generation of systems. The music was fun to listen to and the enemies were fun to shoot down. It was the beginning of a classic franchise. The runner-up for the SNES is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes 4: Turtles in Time. This game was a must have for all fans of the TMNT franchise. It was a fun button masher and it has brought me back many times to play it again. The levels are each unique in their own right and each boss is like a puzzle you need to solve, and when you finally solve the Super Shredder puzzle, it is a sense of satisfaction. Finally, the best game to be made for the Super Nintendo is none other than they first game to be made for it, and that is Super Mario World. Nintendo followed one of the plumber's most popular outings with an absolute gem of a game. It helped that this was the first game that you experienced the new 16-bit system on. In the game itself you were able to have more leeway with where you explored on the map. There were more secrets and different routes to take. It took a while to complete the whole game and unlock every part. This game also introduced everyone to Yoshi, who would go on to be a staple of the Mario series. This game improved on everything that was ever used in a mario game and still was able to create new aspects of the classic series. Now to move on from a widely popular game to what I feel is the most underrated game of the Super Nintendo, and that is Battle Clash. Battle Clash utilized the Super Scope bazooka that was released for the system. The story is that there is a battle tournament of giant robots. The title character enters the tournament in order to get to the boss of it all, Thanatos, who killed his father. You will use different weapons and different strategies in order to make it through the tournament and Thanatos is one bad man. It is a fun game that I feel anyone would like to play.
Part two of this article will be appearing shortly, it will start with the Nintendo 64 and go through to thecurrent console, the Nintendo Wii.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Video: Twilight Princess E3 Trailer Unveiling
Here is a video from E3 a few years back when Nintendo first unveiled what would become "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." Now it would not be released for years after this E3 but I love this video for many reasons. The main reason being the pure excitement in the room once everyone realizes that it is Zelda. Keep in mind that these people jumping up and down and cheering are all professional journalists there for business. It shows how much the Legend of Zelda series has connected with gamers throughout its history that it can turn professionals into little kids in a matter of seconds. It is truly a magical moment.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Godzilla's History in Video Games
By Aaron N
The first major Godzilla game to be released on consoles was "Godzilla: Monster of Monsters." This game was released for the NES in 1988. For some reason this game was subtitled "Monster of Monsters" instead of Godzilla's usual moniker of the "King of the Monsters." This game was fun to play albeit repetitive. The concept of the game was that in the year 20XX aliens invade Earth and have to be fought off by the monster duo of Godzilla and Mothra. You move the heroic monsters across polygonal platforms as if it was a game of chess. Godzilla can move two spaces while Mothra can move four spaces. The enemy monsters would also move towards you on the game board. After your turn is over you enter a sidescroller level depending on which space you land on. These levels were typical short levels with spaceships and other enemies. Your goal in each planet is to defeat all enemy monsters and make your way to the other side where you would move on to the next planet. The amount of enemy monsters in each planet would increase as you progressed through the game. Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and Hedorah are just a few of the monsters in this game and there were many other famous monsters from the Godzilla series in the game. It is a somewhat primitive game but "Monster of Monsters" is a fun game to play.
Godzilla would also have another appearance on the NES but this time he would be in the role as the antagonist. This was a reflection of the movie series where Godzilla was becoming the villain that mankind had to battle. Your role in this game was as the military battling off Godzilla and other monsters. It was somewhat an early Real-time strategy game. You would choose what machines to move and where they would go, it was a turn based game. The monsters are very hard to beat and the game is a bit boring but it has great music and it will be fun to play for a little bit of time.
Godzilla made the move to 16-bit with the apltly titled "Super Godzilla" for the Super Nintendo. This game was once again about aliens visiting Earth and unleashing giant monsters on the planet and only Big G can stop them. In this game you move your dot along a map toward the enemy of the level. Once you reach the enemy you have a battle with it. The battles consisted of punching the monster, or spaceship, and walking backwards until you could select an attack to use. The attacks would be tailwhip, nuclear breath, or headbutt just to name a few. Towards the end of the game you can start collecting certain items that will turn Godzilla into Super Godzilla in order to be able to fight the mammoth Bagan at the end of the game. This is a monumental game as it had the appearance of Bagan who is sort of a cult monster, but that story is for a different blog. Super Godzilla is a fun but simplistic game that features many classic monsters and it will be a fun play for any Zilla fan.
Godzilla's next release would be on the Gamecube and the Xbox and was entitled "Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee." The title is a mouthful but it is a fun fighting game. I looked forward to this game because it was the first time you could really rumble with the monsters in the classic series. It touted eleven monsters ranging from Godzilla and Anguirus to Destoroyah and the new and surprise Orga. This game's storyline was the usual "aliens invade Earth" story that had been a Godzilla staple. The game was fun and it was a Godzilla fan's dream to be able to reenact classic battles.
Godzilla would follow this up with two games that were basically just updated versions of "Destroy all Monsters Melee." First came "Godzilla: Save the Earth" in 2004 for the Xbox and the Playstation 2. This game isn't as memorable because it is basically a clone of "Melee", so not much new was brought to the table. Next came "Godzilla: Unleashed" which was released for the Wii and PS2 in 2007. This was once again an updated version of "Melee" but there a few things that make it stand out. The story is different, focusing on crystals forming on Earth and you have to defeat them and Spacegodzilla. Also this game introduced two new original monsters that were made by Atari specifically for the game.
There are a few Godzilla games that are not well known that I want to focus on. The first one is "Godzilla" for the Game Boy. This is a puzzle game that consisted of going through a puzzle and punching rocks out of the way in order to reach the end. This game is not well known because, quite frankly, it is simply not a good game. It doesn't feel like a Godzilla game and the gameplay is bad and boring. Another unknown Godzilla game is "Godzilla Generations." This game is unknown because it was never released in the United States. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast. "Generations" had a story to it and you could play as multiple monsters. But for some reason it was never released in the States. I remember reading about it when I was younger and I'm disappointed it was never released here.
The history of Godzilla in video games is very vasy and long. And with the new American movie looming in
horizon, we will have to see if new games will be following it. The franchise has never really entered mainstream video games, hopefully in the future it will finally be able to do that.
The first major Godzilla game to be released on consoles was "Godzilla: Monster of Monsters." This game was released for the NES in 1988. For some reason this game was subtitled "Monster of Monsters" instead of Godzilla's usual moniker of the "King of the Monsters." This game was fun to play albeit repetitive. The concept of the game was that in the year 20XX aliens invade Earth and have to be fought off by the monster duo of Godzilla and Mothra. You move the heroic monsters across polygonal platforms as if it was a game of chess. Godzilla can move two spaces while Mothra can move four spaces. The enemy monsters would also move towards you on the game board. After your turn is over you enter a sidescroller level depending on which space you land on. These levels were typical short levels with spaceships and other enemies. Your goal in each planet is to defeat all enemy monsters and make your way to the other side where you would move on to the next planet. The amount of enemy monsters in each planet would increase as you progressed through the game. Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and Hedorah are just a few of the monsters in this game and there were many other famous monsters from the Godzilla series in the game. It is a somewhat primitive game but "Monster of Monsters" is a fun game to play.
Godzilla would also have another appearance on the NES but this time he would be in the role as the antagonist. This was a reflection of the movie series where Godzilla was becoming the villain that mankind had to battle. Your role in this game was as the military battling off Godzilla and other monsters. It was somewhat an early Real-time strategy game. You would choose what machines to move and where they would go, it was a turn based game. The monsters are very hard to beat and the game is a bit boring but it has great music and it will be fun to play for a little bit of time.
Godzilla made the move to 16-bit with the apltly titled "Super Godzilla" for the Super Nintendo. This game was once again about aliens visiting Earth and unleashing giant monsters on the planet and only Big G can stop them. In this game you move your dot along a map toward the enemy of the level. Once you reach the enemy you have a battle with it. The battles consisted of punching the monster, or spaceship, and walking backwards until you could select an attack to use. The attacks would be tailwhip, nuclear breath, or headbutt just to name a few. Towards the end of the game you can start collecting certain items that will turn Godzilla into Super Godzilla in order to be able to fight the mammoth Bagan at the end of the game. This is a monumental game as it had the appearance of Bagan who is sort of a cult monster, but that story is for a different blog. Super Godzilla is a fun but simplistic game that features many classic monsters and it will be a fun play for any Zilla fan.
Godzilla's next release would be on the Gamecube and the Xbox and was entitled "Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee." The title is a mouthful but it is a fun fighting game. I looked forward to this game because it was the first time you could really rumble with the monsters in the classic series. It touted eleven monsters ranging from Godzilla and Anguirus to Destoroyah and the new and surprise Orga. This game's storyline was the usual "aliens invade Earth" story that had been a Godzilla staple. The game was fun and it was a Godzilla fan's dream to be able to reenact classic battles.
Godzilla would follow this up with two games that were basically just updated versions of "Destroy all Monsters Melee." First came "Godzilla: Save the Earth" in 2004 for the Xbox and the Playstation 2. This game isn't as memorable because it is basically a clone of "Melee", so not much new was brought to the table. Next came "Godzilla: Unleashed" which was released for the Wii and PS2 in 2007. This was once again an updated version of "Melee" but there a few things that make it stand out. The story is different, focusing on crystals forming on Earth and you have to defeat them and Spacegodzilla. Also this game introduced two new original monsters that were made by Atari specifically for the game.
There are a few Godzilla games that are not well known that I want to focus on. The first one is "Godzilla" for the Game Boy. This is a puzzle game that consisted of going through a puzzle and punching rocks out of the way in order to reach the end. This game is not well known because, quite frankly, it is simply not a good game. It doesn't feel like a Godzilla game and the gameplay is bad and boring. Another unknown Godzilla game is "Godzilla Generations." This game is unknown because it was never released in the United States. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast. "Generations" had a story to it and you could play as multiple monsters. But for some reason it was never released in the States. I remember reading about it when I was younger and I'm disappointed it was never released here.
The history of Godzilla in video games is very vasy and long. And with the new American movie looming in
horizon, we will have to see if new games will be following it. The franchise has never really entered mainstream video games, hopefully in the future it will finally be able to do that.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Video: IGN fake Zelda Trailer
Here is a video to keep you busy until the next column, which will be next week. This video was made by IGN as an April fool's joke. It was very well made and it made me really want a Zelda movie. Enjoy!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Review: Kirby's Epic Yarn (2010)
By Aaron N
At E3 Nintendo announced a new Kirby title coming out for the Nintendo Wii. This continued what seemed to be a new trend of old franchises being brought back to the current generation in a 2D environment. But this Kirby game looked different than the past titles. It was made entirely of strings of yarn. Also because of this the gameplay would be vastly different as well from the classic Kirby formula. This made skeptics of the fans of the Kirby series, but it would prove to be an interesting and fun gaming experience.
Graphics:
As mentioned before this game was made entirely of strings of yarn. This is an interesting and different concept that really hasn't been seen before. It's a dangerous move in a world where it seems like everyone is looking to make the most realistic looking game. But this move was a beneficial move. The graphics were fluid and the usage of yarn did not hinder any from the look of the game. In fact it actually has beautiful graphics and that is something I never thought I would say about yarn. You can tell the difference between each character and each character design has it's own personality. Even the classic characters that are brought into the world made of yarn look differently than in previous games. It is a unique concept and it puts this Kirby game in a different level all on its own.
Story:
The story begins with Kirby getting sucked into a magical sock by the sinister Yin-Yarn. Now this magical sock is actually a gateway to Patch land which is made up entirely of yarn. There Kirby befriends Prince Fluff who accompanies him on his journey to put the pieces of patch land back together. You do this by defeating the bosses of each world who are made up of special yarn that piece the worlds back together. But while this is all happening, Yin-Yarn is taking over Dreamland and turning it into yarn. The story is told as if it's being read out of a book and it even has a narrator. The narration is clearly written for a child and the narrator speaks in a smooth happy voice, it made me feel like I was watching Nick Jr. But once you get past the childness you can get into the story as since it's written for a child, it's easy to follow and you can turn off your brain and just mindlessly play through the game.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in this game is naturally different than previous Kirby installments. Gone are the days of sucking up enemies and copying abilities. Instead you have a piece of yarn that you throw at enemies which grapples around them. Then you untangle them or you roll them up in a ball to throw at your enemies. Then you reach points in various levels where you turn into different things. For example you can turn into a tank and shoot missles at enemies. You use only the wiimote and you turn it sideways as if it's a classic Nintendo controller. This really helped to make it feel like an old school nintendo game. The levels do become repetitive though. Since you really only have one attack move there isn't much variety in how you defeat enemies. Also there is no way to lose in this game. If you get hit you just lose some jewels that you collect, or if you fall off a cliff you get pulled back up to the part you fell or sometimes further in the level and you lose some jewels. This makes the difficulty of the game almost minimal, but since it was obviously made for children you can understand why they did this. But regardless of the absolute lack of difficulty the game is still really fun to play.
Music:
The music in this game fits in with the classic Kirby soundtrack. The music is catchy and you will enjoy playing the levels because the music is simply enjoyable to listen to. And when you get into some of the classic levels that are redone, you get different versions of the famous Kirby songs and they do not disappoint. The music really adds to the game experience and you are able to listen to it afterwards when you unlock the songs as you play.
Overall:
This game was clearly made for a younger audience, and even though it is blatant at times, it does not make this game any less fun. I would have liked for it to have been a bit harder but I still had a blast playing it. This game had unique graphics and a unique style of play. It is definitely very different than any other Kirby game that has been released, but sometimes different is a good thing. If you want to just shut your mind off and if you can handle the uniqueness then this is definitely a game worth picking up.
Kirby's Epic Yarn gets an 8/10
At E3 Nintendo announced a new Kirby title coming out for the Nintendo Wii. This continued what seemed to be a new trend of old franchises being brought back to the current generation in a 2D environment. But this Kirby game looked different than the past titles. It was made entirely of strings of yarn. Also because of this the gameplay would be vastly different as well from the classic Kirby formula. This made skeptics of the fans of the Kirby series, but it would prove to be an interesting and fun gaming experience.
Graphics:
As mentioned before this game was made entirely of strings of yarn. This is an interesting and different concept that really hasn't been seen before. It's a dangerous move in a world where it seems like everyone is looking to make the most realistic looking game. But this move was a beneficial move. The graphics were fluid and the usage of yarn did not hinder any from the look of the game. In fact it actually has beautiful graphics and that is something I never thought I would say about yarn. You can tell the difference between each character and each character design has it's own personality. Even the classic characters that are brought into the world made of yarn look differently than in previous games. It is a unique concept and it puts this Kirby game in a different level all on its own.
Story:
The story begins with Kirby getting sucked into a magical sock by the sinister Yin-Yarn. Now this magical sock is actually a gateway to Patch land which is made up entirely of yarn. There Kirby befriends Prince Fluff who accompanies him on his journey to put the pieces of patch land back together. You do this by defeating the bosses of each world who are made up of special yarn that piece the worlds back together. But while this is all happening, Yin-Yarn is taking over Dreamland and turning it into yarn. The story is told as if it's being read out of a book and it even has a narrator. The narration is clearly written for a child and the narrator speaks in a smooth happy voice, it made me feel like I was watching Nick Jr. But once you get past the childness you can get into the story as since it's written for a child, it's easy to follow and you can turn off your brain and just mindlessly play through the game.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in this game is naturally different than previous Kirby installments. Gone are the days of sucking up enemies and copying abilities. Instead you have a piece of yarn that you throw at enemies which grapples around them. Then you untangle them or you roll them up in a ball to throw at your enemies. Then you reach points in various levels where you turn into different things. For example you can turn into a tank and shoot missles at enemies. You use only the wiimote and you turn it sideways as if it's a classic Nintendo controller. This really helped to make it feel like an old school nintendo game. The levels do become repetitive though. Since you really only have one attack move there isn't much variety in how you defeat enemies. Also there is no way to lose in this game. If you get hit you just lose some jewels that you collect, or if you fall off a cliff you get pulled back up to the part you fell or sometimes further in the level and you lose some jewels. This makes the difficulty of the game almost minimal, but since it was obviously made for children you can understand why they did this. But regardless of the absolute lack of difficulty the game is still really fun to play.
Music:
The music in this game fits in with the classic Kirby soundtrack. The music is catchy and you will enjoy playing the levels because the music is simply enjoyable to listen to. And when you get into some of the classic levels that are redone, you get different versions of the famous Kirby songs and they do not disappoint. The music really adds to the game experience and you are able to listen to it afterwards when you unlock the songs as you play.
Overall:
This game was clearly made for a younger audience, and even though it is blatant at times, it does not make this game any less fun. I would have liked for it to have been a bit harder but I still had a blast playing it. This game had unique graphics and a unique style of play. It is definitely very different than any other Kirby game that has been released, but sometimes different is a good thing. If you want to just shut your mind off and if you can handle the uniqueness then this is definitely a game worth picking up.
Kirby's Epic Yarn gets an 8/10
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