Tag Archives: Wii U

Splatoon (Wii U)

Splatoon

Developer(s) – Nintendo EAD Group No. 2

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Yusuke Amano & Tsubasa Sakaguchi

PEGI – 7

The newest IP to come out of Nintendo, Splatoon is the Japanese gaming giant’s answer to the likes of Call of Duty or Battlefield. Offering players a non-violent third-person shooting game. In which the objective is drastically different from either of the two aforementioned examples or any other game made in the same vein. Though I don’t think it’ll probably get anywhere near as much attention as it deserves, it’s more than a substitute for the generic army game. It’s far better than any of them.

Graphics – 7/10

Aside from the game featuring a vast array of colors. Giving the game an extremely vibrant feel, the conceptual design of each stage is quite interesting regardless of a couple of recycled elements. But much more significant than that are the subtle cultural references that have been alluded to in the design of the male and female characters. Aside from the character’s elaborate resemblances to their squid counterparts. Humans shapeshifting into animals has been associated with Japanese folklore and Shintoism for centuries. The most prominent example is the story of Amaterasu. I’ve seen other examples in other Japanese media. Such as in the film Pom Poko example. But it’s interesting to see how subtly it’s perpetuated in this game.

Gameplay – 8.5/10

As well as the visual design had some very clever thought behind it, more careful consideration went into the concept of gameplay. And, therefore, a great deal of fun can be had out of it. The concept of the game is to use a variety of paint-based weapons to cover more of the designated stage in their color paint than the opposition can in theirs. There’s also a single-player mode. But for once, this is a game that does online multiplayer particularly well. I’ve never been a fan of playing video games online, save for the Mario Kart series. But very few online games have captivated me as Splatoon has done.

Controls – 9/10

For the most part, there are no issues with the game’s controls. The Wii U’s GamePad functions are actually put to quite good use. Particularly since while players are waiting for a match to load up, they can also play an additional arcade game reminiscent of Ice Climber on it whilst waiting. The one thing I would advise players to do, however, would be to turn off the motion control feature before playing. Since I personally found that it could become more of a hindrance rather than an attention-grabber. And over time, could possibly end up frustrating players.

Originality – 8/10

Uniqueness is a key factor that in my opinion, many mainstream shooters have been lacking in recent years. There were a few that stood out in the seventh generation of gaming, such as BioShock, Rage, and Borderlands. But if others stood out, it could have been for the wrong reasons. A prominent example of that is Brink. But Splatoon stands out not only from most shooters but from most other video games. For something that may look silly and childish at first glance, there is in fact, an extremely interesting gaming experience to be had when exploring further into it.

Happii

In summation, Splatoon is most definitely worth a try, and another reason why the Wii U is a better console than its sales figures suggest. It could be argued that Nintendo has neglected to incorporate innovation in recent years, but this game is a prime example that they still aren’t afraid to try new things.

Score

32.5/40

8/10 (Very Good)

Sonic: Lost World (Wii U & 3DS)

Sonic Lost World

Developer(s) – Sonic Team & Dimps

Publisher(s) – Sega & Nintendo

Director(s) – Morio Kishimoto & Takao Hirabayashi

Producer – Takashi Lizuka

PEGI – 7

Sonic: Lost World takes the franchise back to basics with 2D side-scrolling elements. As well as including certain elements from later 3D platforming titles in the series. After playing, I thought it was an OK game. But I found myself having the same old complaints as I have whilst playing older games in the rest of the series.

Graphics – 7.5/10

To begin with, the visuals of the game aren’t too bad. I think along with being in lieu of Sonic the Hedgehog tradition, Nintendo’s involvement in the series has at least had some positive influence in this respect. The game includes some pretty diverse settings and creature designs. It’s also interesting to see what looks like the triforce from the Legend of Zelda on the roads in the desert levels. What I can’t say the same for, however, is how the Deadly Six characters were designed. The way I see it, they all look pretty generic. And below par with what either Nintendo or Sega are usually capable of.

Gameplay – 5/10

Over the years, I’ve always had issues with how Sonic the Hedgehog games play out. I’ve always felt that though Sonic’s speed was put in place to add more intensity to the game compared to others, there’s hardly anything to do with it and very little space to use it. This game is no exception, unfortunately. To me, high speed has always taken away any fluency in any of the Sonic games. And a lot of the time, it makes them pretty annoying to play through.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the 2D side-scrolling sequences, where there is only one direction to go in anyway. Making high speed is pretty redundant in my own personal opinion. Though interestingly there is influence taken from the canceled Sega Saturn game Sonic Xtreme, The 3D sequences don’t greatly encourage exploration either; as I hope will be present in Sonic Boom when it comes out.

Controls – 9.5/10

Though the controls are straightforward enough, I did find it annoying to turn from left to right in the 2D side-scrolling sequences. Like the analog stick took far too much time to respond to what I wanted the character to do. But otherwise, there were no other issues I found whilst playing.

Lifespan – 3/10

Considering that Nintendo has already put out quite a few games like Sonic: Lost World on not just the Wii U, but every other console before it, it seems much shorter than either New Super Mario Bros U or Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The game can be done in less than 3 hours. Most probably due to the lack of side quests compared to the other two aforementioned games. But nowadays especially, that short amount of time makes for a very fleeting experience even for a 2D side scroller. Let alone any other kind of video game.

Storyline – 6/10

Sonic’s latest adventure has him and Tails pursuing Dr. Eggman, who has captured their animal friends to be used to power his robot army. They must also fend off Eggman’s primary henchmen. The Deadly Six. I was pleased to find the story much less predictable than I’d initially anticipated. There are a few twists and turns towards the end to keep things interesting for the most part. That’s the kind of thing that the Wii U needs to have in order to make their games as interesting as possible in my opinion. And not to include the kind of predictable stories that many of the Mario games have nowadays.

Originality – 5/10

There’s not much new in this game. Although it has a new and unique story, repetitive gameplay has been a problem come every time Sega has tried to revive the franchise since mid-way into the sixth generation.

Niiutral

In summation, Sonic: Lost World isn’t a bad game, but there was definitely room for improvement for me. There’s nothing to suggest to me that this game could have renewed interest in the series, and predictably, it hasn’t to any substantial degree.

Score

36/60

6/10 (Average)

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)

ontSonic Boom Rise of Lyric

Developer(s) – Big Red Button Games

Publisher(s) – Sega

Director(s) – Bob Rafei & Jeff Lander

Producer(s) – Lisa Kapitsas & Stephen Frost

PEGI – 7

As I said in my last article, I had high hopes for this latest attempt at reviving the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Since it looked like no other Sonic game that had ever been released before under its original creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima. And I’d never been a huge fan of the series prior. I believed that it could even be the best Sonic game ever, granted that it was done right. Unfortunately, whilst the gameplay formula isn’t terrible, the title does have flaws. A lot of them.

Graphics – 6/10

To a small extent, Rise of Lyric is more conceptually compelling and different from many other games in the series. Bob Rafei, formally of Naughty Dog, has worked on some of their greatest games. Such as both the Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot series. And the influence that he had on the project is made extremely apparent from the word go. But despite that, this is most probably the most unpolished game I’ve seen on the Wii U since the console’s launch.

There is even a glitch in the game, which can be exploited to skip the majority of levels in it. And complete in just over an hour. The game clearly hasn’t been properly tested. Gamers and fans of the series alike have theorized that it could do with the developers wanting to simply rush it out to retail. To coincide with the release of the Sonic Boom TV show. In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me if this were indeed the case. Video games have been rushed out to retail for one reason or another before.

Gameplay – 5/10

Ever since I first saw footage of this game, and then went on to see even more at the Tokyo Game Show, I’d always thought that it had potential. Sadly, the developers have failed miserably to live up to it. The combat system in the game is largely dull and unrefined. The puzzles found throughout the game can be seen by many as being far too easy. People could argue that this is because the game is marketed primarily for kids. But there have been greater challenges found in kid’s video games than in this title. What also really annoys me about this game is that it’s set in an open world. And there is no map system from the get-go. This presents the same very unnecessary complication, which can be attributed to early unperfected 3D platformers. Such as Blasto.

Controls – 8/10

Another aspect in which players can encounter unnecessary complications is in the game’s control scheme. The jumping mechanics are pretty inaccurate and the camera angles can be particularly awkward in many instances. Although there aren’t many other problems with the control scheme besides these, they still make the game gratuitously hard to enjoy. 3D platformers have been around for way over a decade now. And to think that developers are still having problems making them after the formula has been perfected time and again is beyond me.

Lifespan – 4/10

With adamant players only being able to make the game last for roughly 10 hours, Sonic Boom:  Rise of Lyric falls extremely short of what an exceptional lifespan should be for a game of its genre. Some platformers like Super Mario Galaxy can be made to last up to 25-30 hours. Since there is a lot to do in that particular game and a lot of incentive for making progress. But in Sonic Boom, though there is a small RPG element to it, it’s nowhere near expanded on enough to warrant the game lasting any longer than it does.

Storyline – 5/10

The story of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric involves the four familiar heroes Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy chasing their arch-nemesis Dr. Eggman. Only to arrive in an uncharted world. And accidentally awakened a potentially greater threat called Lyric, who had laid dormant for centuries. After awakening Lyric, he and Eggman team up, and it is up to Sonic and company to stop them. The main problem I had with the game’s story was that it seemed to be mainly fan service.

There’s no backstory given to any of either the main or supporting characters. And there isn’t really any true insight provided into any of them either. It does include a lot of classic Sonic characters, such as Shadow and Metal Sonic. As well as a few new ones thrown in for good measure, it clearly works best for fans of the series. And the developers have seemingly made no attempt at trying to weed in potentially new fans of the series. By possibly explaining fully who these characters really are. Or why they should even care.

Originality – 6/10

I believe the thing that developers got most right in the entire process of making this game was their willingness to take the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise into a daring and initially potentially exciting new direction. But aside from that, there isn’t much else that people will be able to point out about this title to effectively distinguish it from the many other great 3D platformers that have come before it. Such as Okami and Sly Cooper. Bob Rafei’s influences are also made far too obvious throughout. And for a developer who over the years has made a habit of reinventing himself in terms of artistic presentation, I think the effort he has made in the development of this game is very unworthy of him.

Angrii

In summation, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric isn’t the worst game I’ve played throughout 2014 (by some distance, that honor would go to Proteus). And not quite as bad as most other critics labeled it as it has certainly been one of the most disappointing. For a game that initially showed a lot of potential all year round, it fell way short of the high expectations that gamers had for it. And for many Sonic fans, it could now potentially be the last straw.

Cont…

It’s a shame, as I still think that having looked at this game, an open-world Sonic the Hedgehog 3D platformer could make for a pretty good game if it were to be done properly and handled by developers with more experience in the field. This game was simply a question of trial and error. And I think if all the imperfections of the game were worked on, we could have a particularly great game on our hands. But alas, having seen the ill reception that this game had received, it would seem unlikely that not many developers would want to touch Sonic this gameplay formula. Or now even the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, with a 60-foot pole.

Score

34/60

5.5/10 (Below Average)

Oddworld: New N’ Tasty! (PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U & Xbox One)

Oddworld New N Tasty

Developer(s) – Just Add Water

Publisher(s) – Oddworld Inhabitants

Director(s) – Stewart Gilray & Lorne Lanning

PEGI – 12

Back around when the original PlayStation was first released, and in competition with the likes of the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and the Atari Jaguar, the traditional 2D side-scrolling style of gameplay was being fazed out fast to make way for 3D open-world games. Which were taking precedence equally as fast. In spite of this, however, there were a handful of games released in the 2D side-scrolling genre throughout the fifth generation, including Yoshi’s Story, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and the first games in the Oddworld series. Abe’s Odyssey and Abe’s Exodus. Oddworld: New N’ Tasty basically takes Abe’s Odyssey. And gives it a fresh coat of paint as well as a slightly different perspective on gameplay. Making the scenery seem less linear in turn. The gameplay stays completely true to the great amount of variety the original had to offer. And I would thoroughly recommend the remake.

Graphics – 8/10

As I said, aside from being given a complete makeover in terms of visuals, the game also seems a lot more visually diverse than the original incarnation of Abe’s Odyssey. With backdrops being a lot more visible than the latter, and with the inevitable inclusion of enhanced details in the form of more in-depth textures (particularly on Abe and his race, the Mudokens). And more effective use of the contrasts between light and darkness. Which in turn add even more to the game’s already dark and gritty atmosphere.

Gameplay – 8/10

Differing from the many different 2D side scrollers released both during the fifth generation and today, New N’ Tasty stayed true to not only the intense puzzle-solving element but also to the significance of the game’s one side-quest. To rescue as many of the other Mudokens as possible or kill as many as possible to unlock either one of the multiple endings; one of the first games I ever played to have ever included multiple endings as well as elements of the 2.5D side-scrolling genre.

Controls – 10/10

Unlike many other video games released early in the PlayStation’s shelf life, there were next to no issues with the control scheme. And there are even fewer in New N’ Tasty. Though it may not seem as impressive in comparison to the original game, I’m thankful that no new issues have arisen. And that the developers haven’t made any silly mistakes.

Lifespan – 6/10

Unfortunately, however, the lifespan remains around the same as the original game, clocking up at about 3 to 4 hours. Though this isn’t unforgivable, and fairly long for a game of its kind, I think it would have been a plus for the developers to have added a little bit more in terms of gameplay. In my opinion, the ideal solution would have been to bundle Abe’s Odyssey and Abe’s Exodus, complete with the same huge lick of pain. But nevertheless, it is an entertaining game for the time it lasts.

Storyline – 8/10

The majority of the original game’s surrealism stemmed from its different and unusual cast of characters, premise, and story. In New N’ Tasty, it is retold with all of its wonderful weirdness kept intact. It follows the story of Abe. A member of a humanoid-amphibian race called the Mudoken, who is a slave alongside his fellow people at the biggest meat processing plant in all of Oddworld; Rupture Farms. One night, when Abe is working late, he stumbles upon a board meeting.

Highlighting how the company’s profits are plummeting, and executives pondering the solution. Abe is horrified to learn of Rupture Farms’ plan to use Mudoken meat in the production of their latest product. New N’ Tasty. Abe immediately resolves to escape Rupture Farms. While in the process, saving as many of his people as possible. With multiple endings and plenty of twists and turns throughout, it is indeed one of the most unique stories ever told in a game and stands out among a plethora of others.

Originality – 8/10

Although many 2D side scrollers had been developed, and the be-all and end-all of such are considered to this day to be Super Mario Bros (and rightfully so), the Oddworld series delivered a new perspective on the formula, so to speak. And New N’ Tasty expands on that new perspective. It gives me hope for the future since I believe there is quite a lot that could be done with the characters and gameplay premise. But this game (then and now) is an excellent starting point in my opinion.

Happii

Overall, Oddworld: New N’ Tasty does an excellent job of bringing Abe’s Odyssey to a new audience. And is hopefully a sign that the series will continue past this point. It’s been languishing in video game obscurity for far too long in my opinion. And hopefully, this formula can be improved on for a possible sequel and beyond.

Score

46/60

7.5/10 (Good)

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U & Switch)

Mario Kart 8

Developer(s) – Nintendo EAD Group No 1

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Kosuke Yabuki

Producer – Hideki Konno

PEGI – 3

Boasting new tracks, anti-gravity mechanics, and of course online multiplayer, Mario Kart 8 has warranted a small boost in Wii U sales over the last two weeks. But for how good this game is, and how good past games for the system have been, I think the Wii U deserved more than a small boost in sales.

Graphics – 9/10

The majority of the new tracks, namely Sunshine Airport, Twisted Mansion, Thwomp Ruins, and Cloudtop Cruise among others, are exceptionally brilliant in design. And posthumously make up for the traditional inclusion of some of the more generic ones. Such as Mario Kart Stadium and Mario Circuit. The level of detail put into every other track is staggering. Making it even more possible than in previous games to get too caught up in the scenery to concentrate on the race.

Furthermore, the retro stages are also visually breathtaking. Most of which are re-designed to the point of being seldom recognizable. For example, Grumble Volcano from Mario Kart Wii, a track I’d thought to be somewhat generic in the original version, has been given an extremely different feel. Now looking comparable to the land of Mordor, it’s as if Lord of the Rings has taken over for a part of the game. And it’s a massive improvement on the original version.

Gameplay – 9/10

As a veteran Mario Kart player, I already had a very good idea of what I would be getting. Deceptively unforgiving as normal, Mario Kart 8 present a challenge on a particularly large scale; even on 50cc at times. Though I’ve yet to play online, I can already tell that I am in for something, particularly testing. In terms of gameplay, however, I did find a fault with the implementation of anti-gravity segments. I found that whilst the novelty is there, it doesn’t add as much to the table as I’d anticipated, and doesn’t necessarily add to the challenge either.

There are some tracks where it works a bit better than others. But for the most part, it seems a little redundant. But the worst thing about Mario Kart 8, I believe, is the inclusion of coins being part of the item roster. People may say that adds to the challenge. But in my opinion, that can add quite a bit of unnecessary frustration when players are in front and need something to defend themselves with. It may be in homage to the original game, but there’s a good reason why they were removed. However, despite these two faults, this game is still exceptionally fun to play.

Controls – 10/10

Tailored to play using a variety of different means, I can say that there are no problems with the game’s control scheme. I did have concerns that the controls would suffer because of the anti-gravity feature. But Nintendo has handled it flawlessly. And players can virtually skip from Mario Kart Wii to Mario Kart 8 without skipping a beat. There are two changes to playing the game with the Wii remote. But that doesn’t take any time at all to get used to.

Lifespan – N/A (10/10)

It will take about half an hour to play through each tournament. And there are traditional four classes to complete each tournament. So that should take about 16 hours overall. But after that, there’s the online play to immerse players, which will make for hours upon hours of entertainment. As a racing game, there is no fixed lifespan, simply making for a game that can be picked up and played without much worry about making conventional progress beyond the Grand Prix mode.

Storyline – N/A (10/10)

The Mario Kart franchise has never needed a story attached to it. And there was no reason why they would start now. Maybe in the future, a sort could be implemented to make an installment play out more like Diddy Kong Racing as opposed to staying in lieu of tradition in order to mix things up. But lack of story is nothing that Mario Kart 8 should lose marks for, in my opinion.

Originality – 5/10

A lack of uniqueness, on the other hand, is something I think that the game should lose marks on. On the one hand, it’s wonderful how the developers have designed the latest tracks. And how they’ve painstakingly re-mastered old tracks for the retro tournaments. But on the other hand, I was sorely disappointed by how under-whelming the anti-gravity feature is. Bearing in mind that it has been one of the game’s main selling points for the longest time. Also, I found that the character roster is a little bit generic compared to others in the series. I think the inclusion of Bowser’s minions may have been a mistake, as I can think of many more standout Mario characters than them, who could have been included instead.

Deliirious

Overall, however, I think Mario Kart 8 is a particularly impressive game with all the fun and challenge of a traditional game in the franchise and makes for one of the best gaming experiences of 2014. I would have advocated people buy the Wii U over the Xbox One before the release of this game, but I think this game warrants a lot more units to be sold.

Score

53/60

8.5/10 (Great)

Lego City Undercover (PC, Wii U, Switch, PlayStation 4 & Xbox One)

Lego City Undercover

Developer(s) – TT Fusion, Nintendo SPD & Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Designer – Lee Barber

Producer – Loz Doyle

PEGI – 7

Having wanted to develop a video game based on the Lego City toy line for quite some time, Traveller’s Tales agreed to work with Nintendo to bring Lego City Undercover exclusively to Wii U. Combining the familiar formula of most other Lego-themed video games with elements of the Grand Theft Auto series, it was met with positive reviews from critics. And it presented players with a moderately new twist on Lego games at that time.

Graphics – 8/10

To me, this game is a great example of how Lego, in general, can capture the imaginations of the people who either play with Lego (as I did when I was a kid). As opposed to many of the other Lego games, which were based largely on pre-existing intellectual properties. Such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. With Undercover, there are quite a few sly cultural references. And even some references to certain Nintendo games, but for the most part, the player can get a sense that very little can be off-limits in terms of conceptual design.

Gameplay – 9/10

Aside from the game looking great, it plays out great too. Outside the main story, there exists a multitude of different side quests to complete throughout a massive open-world environment unparalleled by any of the more linear worlds found in most other Lego games. The amount of customization and variety on offer is also extremely impressive since a wide range of abilities is needed to complete everything that can be completed. In lieu of the Lego game tradition, replay value is also on offer. Since players will also have to back to story missions with newly gained abilities to collect things they will have inevitably missed the first time around.

Controls – 10/10

Like in every other Lego game, the control scheme is also extremely simplistic, and easy to get to grips with. The use of the Wii U GamePad also offers a fairly unique twist on how open-world games are normally played. For example, there exist side missions, whereby the player must use the GamePad to scan the TV in order to find criminal suspects before making an arrest. It is also used as a glorified Head-Up Display, containing a map and icons indicating where side quests are located.

Lifespan – 10/10

Since there is a ton of things to do in this game, it can easily be made to last up to 100 hours, which certainly makes it the longest Lego game ever developed. There’s a lot of open-world space in the game and a lot of great use of it. The story mode will take the better part of 10 hours alone. But after that, the game will have only just begun.

Storyline – 6/10

The biggest drawback to this game is that the story isn’t particularly engaging in my opinion. It involves a police detective called Chase McCain. He is on a mission to capture a notorious criminal called Rex Fury. Other than the basic premise, there’s not that much present in terms of the story. The only thing that saves it from being irredeemable is that there is a fairly strong comedic element. With cultural references all over the place, and a few clever little in-jokes to accompany them.

Originality – 6/10

Though it is possible to differentiate Lego City Undercover from every other Lego game, since there were a few new features introduced, it doesn’t stand out against many other video games out there. The Grand Theft Auto element of it makes this even more obvious. I would describe it best as being evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary since it made innovation. But only in its own circle, and brought little new to the industry overall.

Happii

In Summation, despite Lego City Undercover playing out very familiarly compared to many other games, it is a very enjoyable experience, and worth every hour of playing. It’s another game that, to me, gives testament to how the Wii U is a better console than commercial figures show.

Score

49/60

8/10 (Very Good)

The House of the Dead 2 (Arcade, PC, Dreamcast & Wii)

House of the Dead 2

Developer(s) – Wow Entertainment

Publisher(s) – Sega

PEGI – 16

Released three years after the original game, House of the Dead 2 received a mostly positive reception from critics. Most seemingly in agreement that it made significant improvements on the first titles in the series. Personally, I do have to say I spent a lot of time playing this game when I was younger. But looking back at it now, I realize many of its core faults with it.

Graphics – 7/10

Despite a number of glitches here and there, the visuals were very much ahead of their time. Since it was ported to the Sega Dreamcast as well as arcade cabinets. And the Dreamcast was capable of rendering much more advanced visuals than both the Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation. The conceptual design was fairly well handled for the most part. The game is set in Venice, Italy. But the game also takes the player to different locations as it progresses. Such as a colosseum in Rome, and a once-thriving modern city. Those levels are set in broad daylight, however. Because of that, the game loses much more of its horror factor towards the end the way I see it.

Gameplay – 7/10

Despite the many faults House of the Dead 2 has, the one aspect that was enjoyable at the time and is still enjoyable to this day is the gameplay. In a first-person rail shooter, the objective is simply to kill every zombie or monster that may block the player’s path in order to progress through each level. And defeat the various bosses waiting for them. When I was growing up, I was always lukewarm to rail-shooting games. But after the likes of Halo and Half-Life came to home consoles, they blew games like this out of the water. Since there was much more to them. Nevertheless, it’s only in terms of gameplay that I feel this title does hold up to a small extent.

Controls – 10/10

The control schemes in rail shooters are much more simple and more self-explanatory than even a first-person shooter. So consequently, there are no issues that will arise in this respect whilst playing it. The only functions players must grow accustomed to are simply aiming, shooting, and reloading.

Lifespan – 3/10

In lieu of the tradition of the genre, one playthrough of this game will only last an average of forty minutes. But what longevity there is in playing this game comes from the fact that it was designed to be played a multitude of times. Especially since there are a few alternative endings to unlock. Depending on certain circumstances throughout the game. I do feel, however, that much more could have been added to make it last at least twice as long. Or even an endless mode could have been added to the home console versions of the game.

Storyline – 2/10

The worst thing about this game is undoubtedly the storyline. Even though the industry was still in the process of getting out of the mindset that video games didn’t necessarily have to tell a story in order to be good, there were many different factors making this story especially bad. It follows AMS agents James and Gary trying to get to the bottom of a zombie epidemic that has broken out in Venice and is threatening to spread across the planet. Aside from the plot being extremely typical of most zombie films to have been released prior, the voice acting is particularly poor and embarrassing.

Anyone who may have thought the original Resident Evil may have bad voice acting, they haven’t heard anything yet until they experience what this game has to offer. It also now seems pretty stupid that the developers chose to keep the name The House of the Dead attached to the project. Since the setting contradicts the name greatly, as it’s no longer set in a house. Personally, I would have given it a more relative name. And just stuck with the same text font, so that people would have recognized that it was from the same series of games. But alas, the developers settled on what they did.

Originality – 4/10

Aside from the story being very unoriginal, the gameplay, whilst enjoyable, didn’t really bring anything new to the genre; essentially playing out like a carbon copy of the first game. As well as other games in the genre, such as Time Crisis or Virtua Cop. Although the reload mechanism is much more accessible than in Time Crisis, there wasn’t anything beyond that that made it stand out from any other rail shooting title.

Angrii

Overall, House of the Dead 2 was a decent game maybe 15 years ago. But now, it seems like a much less enjoyable an experience for those many reasons. With so many zombie-based shooters finding their way into mainstream gaming these days, it would be hard for Sega to make another game in the series. Unless they do something drastic with the story as well as the gameplay.

Score

33/60

5.5/10 (Below Average)

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U, 3DS & Switch)

Hyrule Warriors

Developer(s) – Omega Force & Team Ninja

Publisher(s) – Nintendo & Koei Tecmo

Director – Masaki Furusawa

Producer(s) – Hisashi Koinuma, Yosuki Hayashi & Eiji Aonuma

PEGI – 12

Hyrule Warriors is a title that combines elements from both the hack-and-slash gameplay from the Dynasty Warriors series and the world of Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series. As well as its many RPG aspects. Going into this title, I was instinctively skeptical. Since the Zelda series is one of my favorites and I saw the entire joint venture as a huge gamble on Nintendo’s part. However, I was quite surprised to find out how good a game it actually is.

Graphics – 6.5/10

In lieu of the Zelda tradition, the game is conceptually diverse. It incorporates a plethora of different elements from different games in the series. And also a lot of the different visual styles of the different games too. The in-game visuals are very reminiscent of the likes of Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. And some of the cutscenes take on a style more akin to a cartoon, similar to Wind Waker. There are also a lot of nice-looking FMV sequences throughout the game to accompany all this.

It makes me wonder why Nintendo has Scarcely approved of the use of FMVs in their games. After all, they also worked pretty well in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze too. Some of the new characters do a good job of keeping the series fairly free too. The best example of that to me is Volga. An enemy character based on the boss of the Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time. Volvagia. The issues I have with the graphics stem from the technical side of things. I have spotted a good few glitches while playing. And sometimes the frame rate can drop when enough enemies are on the screen. It made me question the hardware capabilities of the Wii U.

Gameplay – 7.5/10

Despite the fact that the game is very repetitive. As the main objective is to simply dispatch everything in sight until each enemy base is taken, it’s also very addictive. Omega Force has had a lot of experience developing games in the hack-and-slash genre l, and they are good at what they do. The popularity of Dynasty Warriors in Japan, as well as its spin-offs, speaks volumes. There are multiple game modes to choose from, giving players plenty to do throughout. And a great amount of in-game incentive for doing it, including new weapons, items, and characters.

The fact that there is also a substantial amount of playable characters also gives the game a fair bit of variety. I think Team Ninja has made a much better job of collaborating with Nintendo this time around. More than what they did during the development of Metroid: Other M, anyway. Hyrule Warriors is much easier to enjoy for me. Because not only is it much easier to get to grips with than Metroid: Other M, but it doesn’t feel like too radical a departure from the main series. As indeed was one of the biggest concerns I had before playing it.

Controls – 8/10

The quality of the controls depends largely on what peripheral is used. Playing the game on the Wii U GamePad, as per the developer’s primary intention, does come with its limitations. Not only do the GamePad’s facilities not truly add much to the gameplay. With the exception of displaying previous progress notifications and players being able to use the touchpad to select secondary items. But after a while, playing the game with the GamePad can end up causing pain in the hands of players if they aren’t careful. I feel as if it is important that I address this issue to anyone who is looking to play the game but may only have the Wii U GamePad to play it on.

Since the gameplay in Hyrule Warriors is very intense and action-packed, players may end up tensing their hands across the side of the GamePad. And doing this can cause quite a bit of pain after a good few hours. My advice to players would be to make sure that they try and keep their hands relaxed, and be careful to not tense them up around the GamePad regularly. Most game controllers are designed for players to naturally wrap their hands around. But the Wii U GamePad’s design makes doing this considerably harder. All that being said, however, there are no issues with the actual control scheme of the game itself. And since it centers mainly on button-mashing, I find, mastering the basics won’t be too much of a problem.

Lifespan – 8/10

Though gameplay remains the same throughout, there are still enough things to do to warrant around 30 to 40 hours of playing; maybe even longer if players wish to achieve 100%. There is enough intense and action-packed combat. As well as there is both a strong RPG presence and enough in the way of having to level up each individual character and gaining new weapons and abilities, to keep players interested for an extraordinarily long time for a game of its kind. Out of all the elements of the Legend of Zelda series present in Hyrule Warriors, a delightfully long lifespan is one that I am particularly happy to see attained by the developers.

Storyline – 6/10

Taking place outside of the official Zelda timeline, the events of the story follow Link. Who with the aid of several other characters from across the series such as Impa and Sheik, must work to eliminate a new threat headed by the sorceress Cia. Who intends to revive Ganondorf in order for him to lay waste to the land of Hyrule and usurp the throne from Princess Zelda. The game works better for fans of the series in a lot of different ways. But no truer is this than in the narrative. It helps to move the plot forward if players already know who everybody in the game already is. As they all come from several different games in the series. If not, some characters will inevitably come off negatively compared to how they were portrayed in previous games.

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For example, the character Agitha had a fairly subtle role in Twilight Princess. But in Hyrule Warriors, she comes off as considerably less subtle and more unintelligent. And series newcomers will not understand the references to her character in Twilight Princess that are present in Hyrule Warriors. I won’t give away exactly what happens, but one thing that won’t work quite so well for fans of the series is that one in particular plot thread is repeated from another game. And thus discounts one fairly major plot twist.

However, having addressed all these issues, I didn’t find the game’s plot to be terrible by any means. Although it still follows the same basic premise that the series has done for almost 30 years now, all the different elements from different Zelda games have been brought together nicely to make for a fairly well-written new story. It goes to show at least, that Nintendo is indeed willing to break traditions and take their franchises in new and different directions.

Originality – 6/10

Though for the most part, this game draws is heavily influenced by pre-existing elements from 2 different video game franchises, I found that both of these concepts have been taken into fair consideration by the developers, and the result is something, which is somewhat unique in its own right. It may not be the most original end result to spawn from Nintendo collaborating with another developer, but I think if either party had strayed too far from either concept, the game may not have turned out to be as good as it is.

Happii

To summarise, Hyrule Warriors, despite its flaws, is a very addictive game and is most certainly worth investing a good few hours in. Even in spite of the many times that Nintendo has either teamed up with or handed over some of their longest-running series’ to other developers, I was worried that something terrible may have come of this in a particular endeavor. But much to my delight, I was proven wrong.

Score

42/60

7/10 (Fair)

(Written for http://darkzero.co.uk/)

Guacamelee (PC, Xbox 60, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita & Wii U)

Guacamelee

Developer(s) – DrinkBox Studios

Publisher(s) – DrinkBox Studios

PEGI – 12

Developed by a privately operated games developer, DrinkBox Studios, Guacamelee is a Metroidvania game. But with a different approach to combat. It is much more akin to a conventional fighting game. Which admittedly, is what I was expecting it to be at first. I was pleasantly surprised to discover just what kind of a game it is. One that’s rich in conceptual design, and very pleasing to play.

Graphics – 8/10

The visual style of Guacamelee is heavily based on Mexican culture and mythology. Similar to Grim Fandango. Both games revolve around Mexico’s variation of Halloween. Or the Day of the Dead as they call it. But aside from that, the game is also rife with references to other video games. They are predominantly Mario references. But there are also references to The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, and Super Meat Boy to name but a few. It can be quite fun to try and spot each of them as the game progresses.

Gameplay – 7/10

The combat and additional abilities in Guacamelee reminded me somewhat of Dust: An Elysian Tail. But whilst it isn’t quite as enjoyable to play as the former, it still has a decent amount of substance. With side quests and the traditional trope of having to unlock each area with new abilities. It also has variety in the many different moves that can be learned to improve a player’s chances of survival throughout the game. It can also be quite challenging. In that different tactics must be employed to accommodate different kinds of enemies throughout the game.

Controls – 10/10

Since 2D side scrollers have been replicated time and again throughout gaming history, there should never have been a problem with this game’s control scheme. And so there aren’t any. However, it is interesting to see what modifications this game makes to the formula. And how it takes ideas from many other different kinds of games to form its own fully cohesive concept.

Lifespan – 6/10

Clocking in at around 10 to 15, it lasts only the average lifespan of a 2D open-world side scroller, and whilst it isn’t terrible, it always makes me a little bit disappointed, since I’ve always believed that they can be made to last considerably longer; ever since the time I first played through Symphony of the Night. A game of its kind with enough side quests could theoretically be made to last as long as 3D adventure games, but I think the majority of that has to do with the developer’s imagination.

Storyline – 7/10

Reminiscent of Super Mario Bros, the player is put in the shoes of a farmer named Juan Aguacate, who in love with El Presidente’s daughter, resolves to rescue her after she is taken by the evil charro skeleton, Carlos Calaca. Whilst the overall plot of the game is fairly straightforward, there is a bit more to it than the hero saving the damsel in distress. Each villain, for example, has their personalities and traits projected in much more abstract ways than they do in Mario games, and whilst the protagonist may be silent, his struggle to complete his objectives is much more apparent.

Originality – 7/10

Though most games of this kind play out extremely similar to each other, this game stands out for a number of different reasons; but the most prominent thing by far is its sophisticated combat system. It took me completely by surprise that such a traditional video game could have so much variety packed into it, and would be able to exceed the quality of many decent 2D side scrollers to have come and gone over the years.

Happii

In summation, Guacamelee is one of the best indie games I’ve played throughout this generation of gaming so far. It’s a much different game than what I was originally expecting and is a must-try for any fans of the genre.

Score

45/60

7.5/10 (Good)

EarthBound (Super Nintendo & Wii U Virtual Console)

 EarthBound

Developer(s) – Ape & HAL Laboratory

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Shigesato Itoi

Producer(s) – Shigesato Itoi & Satoru Iwata

PEGI – 12

EarthBound was a game released late in the shelf life of the Super Nintendo. Part of the obscure Nintendo series known as Mother, EarthBound is also known as Mother 2 in Japan. Due to the low sales figures attached to the game in both Japan and America, it never saw a physical release in Europe. Looking back, I wish that I did have this game as part of my childhood. Because it is one of the best 16-bit games I’ve played. And it has found its way onto my top ten list of 16-bit games that I did two weeks ago as the new number 6 entry.

Graphics – 7/10

At first, the settings and style of the game can seem pretty generic. Especially by today’s standards. For example, the first four towns in the game are unimaginatively named Onett, Twoson, Threed, and Fourside. But it’s later on in the game with locations such as Yucca Desert and the Cave of the Past. That’s the point whereby the game starts to get really good in terms of visual presentation. Not only that but there is also an extremely diverse enemy roster. Including opponents such as nightmares, krakens, giant ants, and gang members. And a race of extraterrestrials known as Starmen. It’s concepts like these that remind me of how imaginative Nintendo’s personnel are.

After his work on games such as this, it was no wonder why Hiroshi Yamauchi chose to hand Nintendo over to the current president Satoru Iwata who worked on this game. However, I think the biggest fault I could point out about the game’s graphics is the inconsistency of the designs of the character sprites. A lot of the female characters have differently shaped mouths. Presumably to highlight how much make-up they all individually wear. But a lot of them were pretty badly done. For example, Pokey’s mother was given a huge pink smile to seemingly make it look as if she wears more make-up than other women. But to me, it just makes her look like a clown.

Gameplay – 8/10

What I like about EarthBound is that, unlike a lot of other turn-based RPGs, it also provides a particularly stern challenge as well as extremely addictive gameplay. It differs from the likes of Final Fantasies VII through X. The fact is that players are not able to simply beat up on whatever they please for the most part. As with all turn-based RPGs, the further the player progresses, the tougher the enemies become.

But that’s done a lot more effectively in EarthBound. But what the aforementioned Final Fantasy games lack in the challenge, I find that they more than make up for in-gameplay variety. And whilst EarthBound does indeed have a lot of variety to it, it just doesn’t have as much so. But having said that, this is so far the best 16-bit turn-based RPG I’ve ever played so far. But in the future, I may yet be proven otherwise. As I haven’t properly played through Final Fantasies III, IV, V, or VI.

Controls – 10/10

Like South Park: The Stick of Truth for example, before the release of EarthBound, the turn-based RPG genre was very prominent in Japan by the late 80s and early 90s. And then throughout the late 90s everywhere else. By that token, the control formula had been well and truly mastered by developers. And there were never going to be any issues. I also think that EarthBound may have been one of the first games that had ATMs that could be used to withdraw and deposit money. As EarthBound was developed by many of the same people who developed Pokémon (another turn-based RPG), it’s intriguing to know where that particular feature originated from.

Lifespan – 8/10

Overall, EarthBound can be made to last around 30-40 hours. Although that may seem like a fraction of how long many other future games would be made to last, must have been considered exceptionally long at the time. Especially as most gamers in North America, for example, would’ve been more accustomed to playing traditional 2D side-scrolling games as opposed to turn-based RPGs. EarthBound was released in the mid-90s before Final Fantasy VII was released. And took the genre into the global mainstream. 30 to 40 hours is also particularly long for a turn-based RPG that virtually has very few side quests compared to other games of its kind. Most of the time is spent on leveling up characters due to the game’s exceptional level of challenge, I find.

Storyline – 9/10

Undoubtedly, this is by some margin the best aspect of this game in many, many ways. Over the years, it has yielded controversy, humor, fan debate, and a cult following. And to me, is a very important early example of how video games can indeed be considered a viable art form. The story of EarthBound follows a young boy called Ness, who is woken up one night by a meteor, which has fallen near his house. He investigates, and he is approached by a fly called Buzz Buzz. Who warns Ness that he is from a future universe dominated by an entity called Giygas. And that Ness must embark on a quest to defeat Giygas in the present. And thus stop his reign of terror. The story itself is simple enough.

But it’s the additional content to be found throughout the course of the game that adds to the story and makes it so excellent and full of substance. The game is rife with cultural jokes and references concerning the Western world. For example, a mode of transportation in the game is a yellow submarine. And one of the enemies in the game is a diamond dog. The settings were also heavily influenced by Western culture.

There’s also a lot of fourth-wall humor. An example of that is when one of the adult NPCs tells Ness that children like him should be at home playing Nintendo games. But aside from fourth-wall humor and numerous cultural references, there are also some very poetic themes to the game. Such as motherhood, which is rife throughout the entire franchise, and life and death. Giygas. I think I could probably write an entire essay in regard to that. But I’d like to possibly save that for another week.

Originality – 9/10

This game was destined to stand out among others and age very well in this respect. Because EarthBound was developed at a time when stories in video games were virtually in their infancy. And nowhere near as much emphasis was put on it back then as there is now. But what truly differentiates this effort from most other turn-based RPGs out there is the fact that EarthBound is set in pre-apocalyptic modern times. Unlike most games of its kind, which are typically set in medieval, post-apocalyptic, or steampunk eras.

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In summation, Nintendo defied convention in many ways than one with EarthBound. With its unique approach to gameplay challenge, the substance in the story, clever cultural references, and conceptual design. It’s certainly a misunderstood game for how poorly it sold, to begin with, and I could not recommend it enough. It’s also unique in that it is the first game on this blog to achieve this high score.

Score

51/60

8.5/10 (Great)