tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92215435635624657492024-03-19T06:51:47.989-04:00Hammer Down Video Game ReviewsHonest and personal reviews of the video games I play. No sponsorship, no bias, just a genuine enthusiasm for gaming.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-88555633550373015332015-06-26T09:43:00.001-04:002015-06-26T09:43:50.221-04:00[TRAILER] Rise of the Tomb Raider Trailer - New Trailer, Tomb Raider 2 As I mentioned in my review, I enjoyed the recent <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2015/03/tomb-raider-crystal-dynamicssquare-enix.html">Tomb Raider</a> prequel, and I've been looking forward to seeing where they take the franchise next. Square Enix have recently released a teaser trailer for the upcoming prequel-sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider.<br />
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I know that it's just a teaser trailer, but I was hoping for some actual gameplay footage. At least we can assume that the cut scenes will look good, it'll take place at least partly in a cold environment, and there will still be climbing involved.<br />
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Personally, I didn't get much out of this trailer, but at least it reminded me that a new game is coming out, and I'll have to keep an eye out for a real trailer at some later point.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-7411268849384265962015-05-21T10:07:00.000-04:002015-05-21T10:07:23.407-04:00Punch Quest (Madgarden/Rocketcat Games, 2012)Way back in my review of <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/jetpack-joyride-halfbrick-2011.html">Jetpack Joyride</a> (my 3rd review ever!) I talked about endless runners. While reviewing <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/bad-dudes-vs-dragonninja-data-east-1988.html">Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja</a> I talked about the classic Beat 'em Up genre. While Endless Runners are currently one of the most popular types of mobile games, those of us who grew up in the arcades of the late 80s and early 90s still have fond memories of popping token after token into the vast assortment of more or less identical Beat 'em Ups. These two styles of play seem miles away from each other, but somehow the design wizards over at Madgarden found away to merge the two into something new in the form of Punch Quest.<br />
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The first thing that struck me about Punch Quest (no pun intended) was the amount of thought that must have gone into the controls. Endless Runners tend to have extremely simple controls, often using the entire touchscreen as a single button that is your only input. Arcade Beat 'em Ups were a bit more complex, tending to use a joystick for eight directional movement along with three buttons: Punch/Weapon, Jump, and Kick/Special Move. Punch Quest squeezes all of this into the equivalent of two buttons. The right half of the screen is Jab/Special Move/Forward Dash, and the left half is Uppercut/Jump. Pressing them both at the same time triggers a Block and causes your character to stand still until you let go. This gives you an impressive amount of control to the point where it sometimes reminded me of the classic console platformers I grew up on.<br />
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Endless Runners take place in a wide variety of environments from realistic to abstract. Punch Quest lands somewhere in between with a surreal monster infested cave/dungeon setting.Your overall objective is fairly irrelevant as is the norm for the genre, something about helping a gangsta' gnome leave the planet, but the mood it sets is what gives this experience its unique flavor. To make the never-ending random levels a bit more interesting, the path often splits into an upper or lower option with a simple sign hinting at what each choice has to offer. This is a great help when a quest requires a specific action such as using a powerup or defeating a boss.<br />
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Wait, boss fights? In an Endless Runner? Surprisingly, yes! While the game is clearly a runner at its core, it borrows the idea of boss fights from its Beat 'em Up roots. You don't actually stop running to fight the bosses. Instead, they fly along with you to stay on the screen, similar to the bosses in classic Beat 'em Up vehicle stages. The variety of attacks and strategies offered actually exceeds what is typically seen in the genre, and reminded me of classic platformer boss battles. The flying giant punching fist machine for example could easily have been in an early Sonic the Hedgehog title. Figuring out the best strategy and powerup combination for each boss was part of the fun, and quickly defeating the ones that previously gave so much trouble was very satisfying.<br />
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Speaking of powerups, this game has some that are actually useful! New attack special moves and platforming techniques can be unlocked and equipped in various combinations allowing you to customize the overall feel of the game. Personally, I enjoyed the forward punch that slows your descent after a jump, allowing you to span much larger chasms, and spend more time punching those pesky flying enemies. Some of these powerups are always active, and some only work after your Punch Meter reaches a certain point. There are also a number of cosmetic add-ons including the obligatory expansive hat selection to let you look however you'd like. Race and gender options also go far beyond the standard white dudes only approach similar games take.<br />
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As I mentioned in my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/jetpack-joyride-halfbrick-2011.html">Jetpack Joyride</a> review, it's the mission system that really makes these types of games click for me. Sure, high scores are fun, but I like to feel I'm accomplishing something. Punch Quest borrows heavily from Jetpack Joyride's quest system, and it works just as well here. I was able to get lost in this strange world for many a lunch break and there was always that little voice in the back of my head urging just one more quick run.<br />
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Back in my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/wake-boss-baddie-2010.html">Wake</a> review I mentioned how retro graphics are becoming so common that they're starting to feel dated again. The art style in Punch Quest is certainly pixel art based, but has more of a modern leaning rather than an obvious attempt at a 16-bit look. It's a matter of opinion. I thought the graphics looked nice, but I probably would have preferred nice rounded edges instead. I did appreciate that it supports both portrait and landscape mode, that's a nice bonus! The sound was oddly mixed. The sound effects seemed to be mixed more mid-range and bass heavy while the background music was more treble heavy, the opposite of what is usually expected. It's not a big deal though since as a mobile game you'll probably be playing it muted the majority of the time anyway.<br />
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Punch Quest isn't a perfect game, but it is a fun game. It's full of strange ideas made stranger in a way that surprisingly feels both comfortable and familiar. You can play it in short bursts, or spend an afternoon with it. I don't know if I'd go back and play it again, but I enjoyed playing it when I did and if you are a fan of either Endless Runners or Beat 'em Ups, you might enjoy it too.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-82446785622933919602015-05-14T09:52:00.000-04:002015-05-14T09:52:51.762-04:00Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (Konami, 2006)I've mentioned the word "metroidvania" a few times in my reviews as it has become a genre in itself. Games such as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/wake-boss-baddie-2010.html">Wake</a>, <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2015/03/strider-double-helix-gamescapcom-2014.html">Strider</a>, and <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/dlc-quest-live-freemium-or-die-going.html">DLC Quest</a> have strong metroidvania influences while <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/guacamelee-drinkbox-studios-20132014.html">Guacamelee</a> and <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2015/01/batman-arkham-origins-blackgate.html">Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate</a> offer full blown metroidvania experiences. But what exactly is a metroidvania?<br />
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The word actually started as a derogatory term used by old school Castlevania fans complaining about the direction the franchise took starting with Symphony of the Night. Rather than the more straight forward arcade inspired approach that most (but not all) of the previous titles offered, later releases more closely emulated the 2D games of the Metroid franchise. Despite the criticisms of some fans, many players (myself very much included) found this direction to be exactly what the series needed. By the time the hugely influential indie surprise hit Cave Story was released, the term "metroidvania" had become a badge of honor for fans of the genre. Luckily for us, Konami stuck with the style and released a number of handheld Castlevania titles further defining this new genre, including Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.<br />
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The first couple Castlevanias were about a vampire hunter named Simon Belmont. Later titles expanded to the entire Belmont family, and eventually branched out into a larger variety of lead characters. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin introduces two new slayers of the undead, Jonathan and Charlotte. Each has their own unique advantages and the player can not only switch between them at any time, but can have the other character play along via AI. There are simple commands to have your companion stay put or follow along, and some special attacks that require teaming up.<br />
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Having an ally is obviously an advantage in battle, but it also plays a large part in solving the castle's many puzzles. There are objects that require the strength of two to move, or the weight of two to activate, as well as situations where one character needs to wait in position while the other moves an object into place. The 2nd character can also help out with giving your jumps a bit of a boost which is a big deal early in the game before you've had a chance to load up on powerups.<br />
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As is the core of the metroidvania genre, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is full of roadblocks and dead ends which open up to you later in the game once a new ability or piece of gear has been acquired. This style acts as a sort of tutorial allowing the player to master each new technique before gaining access to the next, yet it also allows for an overall game design that feels very open world while still providing a polished linear experience. Powerups here include the standards such as the abilities to double jump, slide through small spaces, and break barriers, and while none of the powerups are really ground breaking, they do still manage to put their own Castlevania twist on them.<br />
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One of the most defining characteristics of Castlevania titles is the setting. Most of the 2D games in the series center around a single large castle that must be explored fully. While some of the earlier games experimented with having multiple smaller castles connected by outdoor areas and even towns to give more of an RPG feel, those releases tended not to be as well regarded. For Portrait of Ruin, Konami took a cue from Mario 64 and placed several magical paintings throughout the castle. These paintings can be entered, allowing for much more variety of location without ever technically leaving the castle. This is sort of the opposite of the classic <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Zelda</a> formula as the interior of the castle becomes the overworld, and areas such as a sprawling desert or Victorian city are treated as the games dungeon zones.<br />
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Another aspect of Portrait of Ruin that sets it apart from other Castlevania titles is the central plot. with most of the series there is a simple formula: Dracula woke up and somebody has to get through his castle and hit him with a whip, all wrapped up in a unique combination of classic horror movies and Catholic mythology. This time there's a new vampire named Brauner who is trying to resurrect Dracula in order to stir up trouble. Along the way are some memorable characters such as the vampire sisters and the helpful ghost, each with thoughtfully written back stories. And as always, there's the usual money grubbing priest/merchant who is always happy to help you defeat evil, for the right price that is.<br />
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Pushing the narrative boundaries a bit more, Portrait of Ruin features multiple endings depending on what choices you make and how you go about accomplishing your task. As usual, there's a happier ending if you make the right choices, the "good ending", and several more that can be considered "bad endings". Luckily, the less desirable outcomes always involve actions taken after your last game save, so you can always keep trying for a more complete victory without fear.<br />
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While Castlevania started out with a more arcade action style, it has slowly been incorporating more RPG mechanics through the years. As with the other DS and GBA releases of the series, Portrait of Ruin features random loot drops to buff up the weapons and armor for both of your characters, as well as stock up on the usual items such as health potions, which are handy since unlike the Metroid series, Castlevania enemies generally don't drop health refills. Defeating enemies also raises your XP allowing you to level up your character. I generally find that this makes the constant backtracking seem like less of a chore, since it means I can grind XP along the way while keeping an eye out for missed secrets so the additional time doesn't feel wasted. <br />
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Castlevania games have long featured some of my favorite gaming soundtracks, and this one maintains the tradition of gothic and baroque themes interspersed with jazz, latin. and hard rock influences to create the magic blend we've come to expect. The general sound effects are pretty standard, but I was surprised by the amount of spoken dialog included in the game. Neither 2D metroidvania titles or DS games usually feature voice acting, so this little bonus gave the game an extra level of polish.<br />
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Graphically, Portrait of Ruin didn't immediately strike me as being too different from the GBA offerings, but over time I started to notice a few things.The additional storage available in the DS cartridges allowed for more detailed sprites and greater variety with smoother animations. The DS's graphics processor also lets some pretty cool effects happen against the sprites. Finally, a number of 3D polygonal objects and creatures show up from time to time to add a bit of depth to the visual style. So, while the overall art direction deviates little from what was available on the previous generation, what can be done with that style has certainly improved to offer a pleasing, if not wowing, graphical style that suits the game well.<br />
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For the multiplayer fans out there, I should probably also mention the Boss Rush mode. This two player cooperative mode allows one player to control Jonathan and the other Charlotte. As the name suggests, this mode allows you to take on all of the game's bosses one after another. I have to admit that I didn't personally try this mode out, but it could be a selling point for some, so it's worth bringing up.<br />
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So, if you're a fan of later 2D Castlevania games, or just the metroidvania genre overall, this is a solid game that delivers a quality adventure with a high degree of polish. It changes up the formula enough to feel fresh, while not enough to lose the feel of the genre. On the other hand, if the thought of backtracking and wondering aimlessly on a quest for yet another powerup makes you cringe, you should probably pass on this one. For me, I had a great time with Castlevania Portrait of Ruin, and I'll be keeping an eye out for some of the other Castlevania titles that I haven't had a chance to play through yet.</div>
Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-1953017158324857322015-03-24T09:09:00.000-04:002015-03-24T09:09:44.288-04:00Strider (Double Helix Games/Capcom, 2014)Back in middle school, my friends and I used to play a game on the NES called Strider. It was a fairly deep platformer adventure game with some metroidvania elements to it, and dialog that told an interesting sci-fi story of futuristic international espionage. Later, we realized that this was not a port, but a spinoff of an arcade game with a much different play style. A faithful Sega Genesis (or Megadrive if you're outside the US) release of this version gave us an entirely new experience to get lost in. While the arcade title had fewer mazes and backtracking for powerups, it offered a fluid style of acrobatic combat, and a platforming system that let you crawl along any surface, wall, or ceiling to fully explore your environment in a way we'd never seen before. There were a couple of sequels to it, another Genesis release as well as a completely different (and far superior) PS1 game, both simply called Strider 2. After that, the franchise sort of faded into history. Surprisingly, Capcom decided to dust off the series with the help of Double Helix Games to produce an all new adventure, confusingly enough once again called Strider.<br />
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With so many earlier games to pull inspiration from, there was some pre-release speculation as to what exactly Strider would be, and how it would feel. Double Helix did a faithful job of drawing inspiration from all of the existing source material, but when it came down to the actual controls it was all about the arcade game. Jumping, climbing, and all around swashbuckling (can you use that term to describe non-pirate related activities?) felt just as smooth and fluid as I remembered from my hours spent with the Genesis port. There's even a nice gravity free area where you really get to fully explore these abilities. The combat also was a faithful reinterpretation with the signature swipe of the Cypher (a futuristic katana) leaving a nice glowing swoosh floating in the air.<br />
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The level design on the other hand took a slightly different approach. Most of the games in the Strider series have a more traditional arcade style layout where you simply follow a winding path while killing everything in your way until you get to each stage's boss. The NES game focused more on exploration and backtracking as you collected powerups to get to previously unreachable areas. This game is somewhere in the middle. Each level is fairly large with multiple paths to explore, and upgrades to be found in the deepest reaches. Major powerups are collected as you go allowing you to open previously locked doors or travel in new ways to traverse new areas. There is a bit of backtracking within each area.<br />
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The major difference here is that once you've reached the new area, you don't need to return to the previous zone. Instead, the whole process starts up all over again. While playing through Strider, I found myself describing the design as a Metroidvania-lite approach. It makes a good compromise for a game in a series mostly not based on exploration, but needing a bit of modernization to thrive in todays console/PC game market. I'd say fans of the NES release and the arcade ports will both feel satisfied by this approach.<br />
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The story of Strider is sort of a reimagining of the original game. Being an arcade cabinet release, the original was pretty light on text and presented the basic premise that in the Russian inspired futuristic dystopia of Kazakh City, a man named Hiryu,a member of an elite organization known as Striders, has to overthrow an oppressive dictator named Grandmaster Melo. The NES port's slower pace managed to fill in the story a bit more, and this new release draws on all of the previous lore and expands upon it.<br />
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The characters are as over the top as I remember. This is a futuristic fantasy story more than an attempt at gritty realism. A number of assassins have been sent to stop Hiryu from completing his mission. These provide both entertaining cut scenes and challenging boss battles. Each has a distinctly different form of attack, and sometimes more than one must be faced at a time. Other classic boss encounters also resurface including my personal favorite, the incredible battle against the giant flying mechanical dragon that you both ride and attack at the same time. It was impressive in 2D sprite form decades ago, and it works even better as smoothly animated polygons. But you're not entirely alone in these fights, as in the original, you still collect small helper drones along the way that fight beside you as you go.<br />
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One aspect that needs to be mentioned is the overall length of the game. While this is easily the longest game in the Strider series, it's still much shorter than many modern titles. If you're looking forward to digging into a 20 hour adventure, you may be disappointed to reach the end after about five hours. Then again, if you're staring at the bottomless abyss of your sprawling Steam library and looking for something relatively quick to knock out, this might be a perfect choice!<br />
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Strider's visual presentation is also a matter of taste. As a longtime fan of the series, I was blown away by the detailed reimagining of the familiar environments. Kazakh City has never looked better! The problem some have with it however is that the entire game takes place in similar futuristic industrial environments, and while they are fairly varied between each other, there's never a really dramatic contrast. Still, it looks and sounds great. The music is just as top notch as ever, and the voice acting brings the characters to life without feeling like a cartoon.<br />
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So, what is Strider, and who is it for? That's a difficult question to answer. It's not an arcade brawler or an RPG platformer, it's not a sprawling metroidvania or a speedrunner's playground. Strider really tries to find it's own balance and offer something fresh without trying to invent anything completely new. As far as single sitting games go, I thoroughly enjoyed Strider as it drew inspiration from several genres I'm already a fan of and wrapped it around a nice chunk of nostalgia from my childhood. While your mileage may vary, I'd recommend checking it out if you're a fan of any of these styles of gameplay.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-43497507583633862942015-03-10T08:37:00.000-04:002015-03-10T08:37:11.887-04:00The Room Two (Fireproof Games, 2013/2014)It's sequel time again here at Hammer Down Reviews. Frequent readers may remember that a few months ago I posted a review for an indie mobile game called <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-room-fireproof-games-20122013.html">The Room</a>. It was an extremely polished and creative take on the concept of the Escape-the-Room genre of gaming. As I mentioned in the review, I enjoyed the game a lot, so much so that I had to pick up a copy of the sequel as well. As with many games I'm so eager to download, it ended up just sitting on my phone staring at me for a while, but luckily I eventually found the time to sink into it. So, what exactly did I think of this follow up? Did it live up to the expectations set by it's predecessor? Let's find out, as I share my thoughts on The Room Two.<br />
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In my review of <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-room-fireproof-games-20122013.html">The Room</a>, I mentioned that despite the name, the game isn't actually about the room itself, rather it's about a strange mechanical box inside the room. This time around, the game is actually about the room, or rather the rooms. Each level plants you in a different room of the mysterious old mansion of an eccentric scientist. Solving each room's puzzles grants you access to the next room, and its even more challenging brain teasers.</div>
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Gameplay in The Room Two retains the same tactile intuitiveness of the original, but expanded to incorporate the larger play areas. Dragging around the screen moves your viewpoint around a room, while pinch zooming focuses the camera on a single object or area, that can then be orbited as in the first game. These objects will in turn have parts that can be further zoomed into in order to interact with it. This gives you a lot more freedom of movement, and also increases the complexity of the puzzles. An item found hidden in one object might need to be used in another object across the room.</div>
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More thought is put into the story this time. The narrative is still pieced together from old letters found hidden in the various contraptions, but they come across slightly less as simply the ramblings of a mad man, and paint more of a picture around this mysterious new element known as Null, and all of the amazing potential and danger it possesses. These notes are also much more likely to contain necessary clues to the game's puzzles, so don't be surprised if you end up re-reading some of them a few times looking for subtle hints at hidden double meanings.</div>
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Visually, The Room Two continues the trend of having some of the most beautiful graphics I've seen in a mobile game. I can't say that it's a noticeable step up from the first title, but it's definitely the type of game you'd want to use to show off what your phone is capable of. While I'm generally glad that mobile games tend to reverse the trend of many current console franchises by placing more focus on gameplay and less on looks, it's still an unexpected treat when somebody puts this amount of detail into a game that you'll primarily be playing on the tiny screen in your pocket.</div>
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Once again, the designers managed to create an entire game worth of mind bending puzzles without ever repeating themselves. I don't know where they get all the inspiration, but hopefully they are able to keep this well of creativity flowing as the Fireproof Games website is already promising a 3rd installment of the series soon.</div>
Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-88477407848069930212015-03-05T09:56:00.000-05:002015-03-05T09:56:05.690-05:00Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix, 2013)If you're a regular visitor to this site, and you've been by lately, then you may have noticed that there have been some problems. I accidentally erased all of the images on the blog. As you can imagine, videogame reviews without screenshots aren't nearly as much fun. Needless to say, I was pretty upset, and even considered just pulling all of the reviews down and starting over from scratch. Luckily, I was able to restore most of them from a web cache, so the amount of time spent painstakingly rebuilding the review pics wasn't nearly as overwhelming as it could have been.<br />
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Starting over from scratch is never fun, but sometimes it's what must be done. Sometimes something wears out or breaks, sometimes something loses compatibility with current technology, or sometimes something simply goes out of style. In the case of videogames, sometimes a game series simply loses relevance as sequels and storylines stray too far from the original theme, and the characters can no longer be related to by new players. In these cases, trying to steer the series back on course might not be enough, and it's simply time to start over. This is exactly what Crystal Dynamics did when they rebooted Tomb Raider.<br />
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Way back in my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/uncharted-drakes-fortune-naughty.html">Uncharted</a> review, I mentioned how the original 1996 Tomb Raider came out in a time when 3rd party 3D platform adventures simply weren't really a thing. Tomb Raider set the groundwork for later games such as Super Mario 64 and <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/01/prince-of-persia-sands-of-time-ubisoft.html">Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</a> that would eventually lead to 3D platforming becoming a common sight. As the years went by, the franchise flourished, even leading to a couple of big screen adaptations, but as the sequels kept coming, the stories had to keep outdoing earlier releases, until it eventually got a little too out there for new players to relate to. It was time to take a different approach.<br />
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Despite the naming confusion, Tomb Raider is not a remake of the original game, 2007's Tomb Raider: Anniversary took care of that. No, this is a prequel. This is the story of how Lara became the globetrotting adventure seeker we all know. This means that the game starts off with a much different Lara Croft than I expected. She's not confident, she's not bold, she's not out to save the world and defeat her enemies in the pursuit of ancient treasures. She's simply scared. She's a weak fragile creature thrust into an unfortunate situation and she's doing her best to survive, and save her friends if she can.<br />
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As would be expected, this creates a much darker story than the franchise had seen in the past. Even 2008's Tomb Raider: Underworld, my personal favorite of the series, with it's intentionally darker feel still feels like a light hearted romp compared to this game. Because Lara is presented as weak and inexperienced, the danger is more emotional, and this emotional fear is much more infectious than the more comic book style threats of earlier releases.<br />
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Another effect of Lara's novice status is her lack of starter items. I'm used to a well equipped and always prepared Lara Croft starting her mission with at least her twin pistols and a few electronic gizmos. This time you're forced to piece together whatever you can find as you make your way to safety. One of the early weapons is a primitive bow and arrow that is actually a lot of fun to use. Throughout the game, better weapons are acquired and upgraded, but archery remains a strong part of your combat technique throughout. Hopefully this trend will continue in the series.<br />
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I've spent most of this review explaining what makes this game so different from previous Tomb Raider titles, but I don't want to scare off fans of the earlier games. It's true that at the beginning of the game, it truly feels like a different franchise, but a funny thing happens the longer you play it. As with most modern action games, new skills and powerups are unlocked throughout your adventure, and the play style starts to shift as new techniques are utilized to deal with more challenging situations. There was a steady subtle shift in the gameplay style during this game. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I distinctly remember somewhere towards the end of the game realizing how much it felt like a Tomb Raider game. They managed to pull it off so brilliantly that it simply snuck up on me. I was climbing walls, jumping, flipping, and solving mind boggling puzzles in a way that by then felt so much more real than similar puzzles ever did in previous games.<br />
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Now that they've managed to turn this scared fragile girl into the powerful and capable Lara Croft we all know, where will they go next? Will the stories start to merge into the styles of the existing world? Will they forge this into an entirely new spin-off timeline as happened with the new Star Trek movies? It's still anybody's guess right now, but hopefully the series will continue to be successful for years to come and we'll get to know this new world Crystal Dynamics has created even more.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-30111167671892259792015-02-05T13:46:00.001-05:002015-02-05T13:46:09.274-05:00Images restored!It took a little longer than expected, but all of the reviews have working images again! Some of them have different images than they used to, and some have fewer, but things are more or less back to how they were. Now, back to writing more new reviews!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-37747536999847368142015-01-29T09:29:00.000-05:002015-01-29T09:29:50.311-05:00Image updateI mentioned in my last post that all of the images were down from the entire blog. Obviously, this is a big deal for a videogame review site, as screenshots are a big part of the experience.<br />
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The good news is that I've managed to get most of the images back online thanks to google images holding cached copies, as well as enough context for me to be able to figure out where to put them.<br />
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The bad news is that there are about a dozen reviews that I couldn't locate cached images for. For these I'll have to take the time to recreate them as best as I can and hope for the best.<br />
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Hopefully, all of this will be behind me soon, and I can get back to releasing more reviews!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-47268893195710630102015-01-27T18:16:00.001-05:002015-01-27T18:16:29.420-05:00Image problemsHi, there is a problem with the images on this blog right now, so you won't see any screenshots in the posts right now. I'm working on the issue, and will hopefully have all of these images back up soon!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-29276997829093909362015-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:002015-02-01T10:24:43.212-05:00Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Armature Studio/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, 2013)When Batman: Arkham Asylum was first released, it looked interesting, but I didn't have anything that would run it. Thankfully, it wasn't long before the Onlive service launched and I was able to stream it through my aging laptop. I was hooked on the series and had to pre-order Arkham City. With Arkham Origins, I waited until a Steam sale because I was a little worried about the change in developers. When I did finally get around to playing Origins, it was mostly because I'd just picked up a game I was really looking forward to. A game that takes place right after the events of Origins. A game that promised something a little different. A game called Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.<br />
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Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate was originally released exclusively for the handhelds Sony Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Since then it's been released on a larger variety of platforms, making it easier to find. I picked up the 3DS version which while at a lower resolution than the Vita release, and with lower quality textures, still looks better to me thanks to the stereoscopic 3D effect of the 3DS screen. Most 3DS users I know have long since given up on the 3D effect by now, but it still looks good to me, so I always keep it cranked.<br />
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When Batman: Arkham Asylum was first released, its design flow drew many comparisons to the Metroid series and the games that it has influenced. I mentioned in my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/guacamelee-drinkbox-studios-20132014.html">Guacamelee</a> review what a soft spot I have for the metroidvania genre, and Arkham Asylum did not disappoint. Later sequels moved away from this to more of an open world style with entire cities to explore. Arkham Origins Blackgate not only returns to the series' more claustrophobic roots, it even switches from an over the shoulder camera to a classic side view providing an even more authentic metroidvania experience!<br />
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One of the biggest design innovations found in Blackgate is how it constantly tries to blur the line between 2.5D platformer and full 3D adventure. The action primarily happens in 2 dimensions as you move either left or right, but at any corner or intersection you can choose to turn, and the camera will swivel to follow. Many corridors have the camera at more of a following angle providing a <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/god-of-war-santa-monicasony-2005.html">God of War</a> style cinematic quality beyond the standard side scroller. Specific actions also lead to close-ups and perspective angles. It's a unique experience that while is at times confusing, shows immense promise for being an entirely new genre of gaming perspective which will hopefully be seen more in future games, either by Armature themselves or at least some ambitious imitators.<br />
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Converting a series from a 3D Beat 'em Up to a 2.5D platformer brings with it a number of necessary changes, yet satisfying existing fans of the series requires limiting those changes as much as possible. The first place you'll notice this is in the game's combat. The Batman: Arkham series has been built on its addictive flowing group combat with just the right combination of strategy, QTEs, and good old fashioned button mashing. Arkham Origins Blackgate does its best to fit this into a 2D plane. Actually, it fits it into a couple 2D planes. To better replicate the mob combat aspects of the previous games, enemies approach on foreground and background layers that you switch seamlessly between while attacking back and forth. It does a better job than I expected, but felt a bit more on the strategy side and less on the flowy side.<br />
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As I mentioned in my review of <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/batman-arkham-origins-warner-bros-games.html">Batman: Arkham Origins</a>, it's not a Batman game without gadgets, and many of the series favorites return here reimagined for this new format. such as the Batarang, Batclaw, and Explosive Gel, as well as the detective mode. While all of these have been reworked in order to fit this style of gameplay, I was surprised by how well they maintain the feel of the earlier games. Along with the bat-tools themselves, environmental features also translate well such as floor grates and vent shafts to provide hidden passage, and elevated perches to attack silently from. The thrill of entering a large room full of machine gun wielding thugs you'll need to cleverly take out one at a time is still here.<br />
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For better or worse, I decided to play Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate almost immediately after finishing <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/batman-arkham-origins-warner-bros-games.html">Batman: Arkham Origins</a>, so I couldn't help but be critical of the differences. Now obviously I didn't expect this 3DS title to match the graphic quality of it's predecessor running on a high end PC, but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the lack of detail each time there was a close-up. That's not to say that the graphics are bad however, far from it. In fact, had I waited a week or two before starting this one, I probably wouldn't have noticed the difference much at all.<br />
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The controls were also a bit of an adjustment. I'd played <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/batman-arkham-origins-warner-bros-games.html">Origins</a> using a 360 gamepad, and the Blackgate controls were close, but due to the smaller number of buttons, obviously not the same. The on-screen prompts also took some adjustment due to the differences in button placement between Nintendo controllers and Xbox controllers. Even though I was obviously use to pushing the button at the bottom to open doors, I can't count the number of times I swung my cape at the wall instead because the prompt said to press "B". As with the graphics, a week or so between games would have probably resolved the issue, but jumping straight from one to the other was a little odd.<br />
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As a compromise between the go wherever you want nature of open world games and the more linear if backtracking heavy nature of metroidvania titles, Arkham Origins Blackgate provides a degree of Megaman inspired freedom to choose your own path. Blackgate prison is divided into three separate compounds, each controlled by a different one of Batman's arch enemies. While there are sections of each requiring equipment found only in another area, they can be explored in any order, and the stories run parallel to each other, all leading up to the big finale. There are also a handful of collection quests thrown in, but no real side missions. Still, it's nice to have the option of pursuing a different path when you get stumped by the puzzling area you're stuck on.<br />
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With the combat being simplified from the other games of the series, I was expecting the boss battles to be tedious exercises in patiently wearing down a health meter while avoiding overpowered attacks. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of inventiveness displayed in these encounters. Rather than being a simple one on one duel, these boss fights are treated more as environmental puzzles requiring you to utilize your surroundings as well as the various gadgets in your bag of tricks to weaken your opponent's defenses and expose vulnerable weak spots. It's the type of inventiveness I hope becomes more of a trend in future games.<br />
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In my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/batman-arkham-origins-warner-bros-games.html">Batman: Arkham Origins</a> review, I mentioned how the pre-rendered cut-scenes broke the immersion of the experience by showing how good the game could have looked. I was expecting this to be even more of an issue with Blackgate due to the lower level of detail, but they went a different direction with it. Returning to Batman's comic book roots, the between level cinematics use an animated hand drawn style. Not fully animated as a cartoon, but more as if the panels of a comic were given subtle movement. These are fully voiced and pull you into the store in an attractive way that doesn't spoil the look of the gameplay sequences.<br />
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Without a doubt, the strangest aspect of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate was the map screen. As with most side scrolling metroidvania style platform adventures, you'll spend a lot of time studying your map as you explore and backtrack throughout the maze-like environments. It drives many gamers insane, but for fans of the genre, it's what makes it special. What's strange here is that even though the game plays entirely from a side perspective, the map is from a top down view. There's no indication of height, and it's often unclear how exactly to turn a corner to head a different direction. The perspective sometimes flips as well so that left on the screen corresponds to right on the map. Sure, it's more realistic than the standard practice of entirely flat architecture, but it never quite felt right.<br />
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So, who should play Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate? First of all, I'd recommend it to Batman fans. It's a solid experience of living briefly as our favorite Dark Knight. Second, fans of metroidvania games who aren't afraid of trying something a little different will likely enjoy it. But what about fans of the already established Batman: Arkham series? That's a bit more tricky. Sure it has a similar look, and tries hard to replicate the feel, and while it often reminds the player of the other games, it never really feels entirely like one of them. Is that a bad thing? No, but it is a warning that if you're looking for more of the same, this isn't it.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-85448212726480398312014-12-17T10:52:00.000-05:002015-01-28T16:47:44.275-05:00Batman: Arkham Origins (Warner Bros. Games Montréal/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, 2013)It's always a risky prospect when a different team takes over a popular franchise. Will they take it in exciting new directions? Will they destroy everything that made the series unique in the first place? Will they just put out more of the same and never innovate? Will they change it too much so it's no longer recognizable? There are innumerable fears and possibilities, and with good reason. Over the years there have been both hits and misses. <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/08/bioshock-2-2k-games-2010.html">Bioshock 2</a> is generally considered the least enjoyable of the trilogy, Metroid: The Other M strayed too far from the winning Prime series formula, and <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/trailer-borderlands-pre-sequel.html">Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel</a> has been getting a fairly luke-warm response. It's not always bad news though, as Halo 4 showed that the series could live on without Bungie, Capcom made some well regarded Legend of Zelda games, and Guitar Hero 3 broke sales records not just for the series, but for the industry. But what about Batman? In the world of cinema, Batman Forever completely shattered the image created by the Tim Burton films, and even fans of the modern Batman movies are more than a little worried about the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. But, I'm not here to talk about movies. I'm here to talk about games, and specifically, I'm here to talk about Batman: Arkham Origins.<br />
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The first thing that needs to be pointed out about Batman: Arkham Origins is that a lot of care was obviously put into recreating the feel of the first two games. All of Gotham City is open to you to explore this time, so it has the open world grand Theft Auto meets <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Legend of Zelda</a> feel of Arkham City, but there are also plenty of sprawling indoor locations to investigate bringing out the claustrophobic Metroid inspired feel that the original Arkham Asylum had. Overall it's a great mix of both games made into something new.<br />
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Arkham City ended with the death of one of the main characters of the series leading many to wonder how the story could continue on. For the time being at least, that question was side-stepped since Batman: Arkham Origins is, as its name would suggest, a prequel to the existing games of the series. The origins of Batman have been told many times in various media. We've had two separate movies about Batman's early crime fighting adventures, several graphic novels, flashback scenes in the cartoons and comics, and even an ongoing TV series about Bruce Wayne's early years. This game offers a rare chance to play out these early days in an interactive format. Sure, 1989's Batman and 2005's Batman Begins both had games base on them, but in those you were mostly following a script, rather than existing in a world. There's just an amusing feeling you get when creeping along a roof ledge eavesdropping on a group of criminals as they debate whether or not you exist moments before jumping out of the shadows at them.<br />
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While we're on the subject of listening to the dialog, it should be pointed out that Batman: Arkham Origins has an entirely new voice cast. The previous games reassembled the voice actors from Batman: The Animated Series, including Mark Hamill delivering an amazing performance as the Joker. When I first heard that this game was recasting all of the parts, I was worried that it would be going in a different direction, but luckily this was not the case. The new actors actually sound a lot like the old cast, and deliver the same dark mood the series thrives on. While Troy Baker might not be quite the scene-stealer that Hamill was, he still manages to deliver a powerful performance, even if The Joker does have a much smaller role in the story this time. Roger Craig Smith does such a great job filling Kevin Conroy's shoes voicing Batman himself, that it's hardly noticeable that we have a whole new cast. Granted, about a year and a half had passed since I'd played Arkham City, so playing through the series back to back may lead to a more offsetting experience.<br />
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So, other than the cast, what's new this time around? Actually, not all that much. It seems that the new developers didn't want to rock the boat too much in their maiden voyage, focusing instead on delivering a new story within the comfortable environment of familiar gameplay from the earlier games, which was probably a pretty good call on their part. There have been a few new additions however. One of the most innovative aspects of the Arkham series has been the Detective Mode which lets you analyze your environment and follow clues to help you throughout your adventure. This has been updated with a new Crime Scene Investigation mode that lets you recreate the events and view them from any angle as a holographic reenactment. I'll admit I had fun playing DJ with the playback as virtual explosions sent shrapnel flying across the room and back.<br />
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A s a Batman game, an assortment of bat-gadgets is always available, and this game is no exception. The standard Batarang, Batclaw, Explosive Gel, and Cryptographic Sequencer of previous Arkham games make return appearances along with a few new toys such as the Remote Claw and Shock Gloves. Nothing that changes the formula in substantial ways, but these new tricks do manage to help the game feel fresh.<br />
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Visually, Batman: Arkham Origins is a bit of a departure from the dirty grit of the series. Sure, there are some dirty gritty environments that you'll visit, but most of the game's world is actually pretty nice. Rather than being secluded to an overgrown penal colony, you are in Gotham City itself. Being a snowy xmas eve night, most of the citizens are safely at home and out of your way, leaving only the cops and the criminals, not mutually exclusive, out to play. If you have fond memories of any of the Batman Begins games of the early 90s then you might feel a bit of nostalgia as you swing the Caped Crusader among the fully decked halls of this festive winter wonderland.<br />
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While Arkham Asylum was mostly linear with a few scattered collectibles, Arkham City introduced the idea of more fleshed out side mission quest chains. Arkham Origins expands on this with a number of ongoing optional objectives to keep you occupied wherever you go. Some of these have practical purposes such as unlocking fast travel locations, but most are simply opportunities to gain additional experience points to put towards upgrading your equipment and abilities. While the previous titles provided customization through learning additional moves, you're presented here with a full skill tree rivaling many RPG titles.<br />
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One issue that has been bugging me more and more lately has been pre-rendered cutscenes. This game isn't alone in this issue, it did put the issue in the spotlight, especially later on in it. You see, there are two types of cutscenes, pre-rendered, and in-engine. Back in the 2D days, it was simple, either your sprites moved on their own with dialog text, or you saw custom images that looked much more detailed than the actual game. In the early 3D days, N64 games would generally just animate the game characters and camera in a more cinematic way, while the PS1 and its CD-ROM allowed for playing back video files that were put together beforehand using advanced lighting and rendering techniques. At the time, this provided a whole new view into the worlds of our games, and we didn't mind that everything looked completely different than during the levels. Now that the games themselves already look detailed and realistic, using pre-rendered cutscenes has a new effect, it points out how much better the game could look, but doesn't. After hours of playing Arkham Origins, your mind starts to accept it as reality. When the cutscenes suddenly have drastically different lighting, and the room you were just in looks far more detailed, you think maybe it didn't look as good as you thought. When you're then thrown back into the level, the amazing graphics you were so immersed in before are suddenly a disappointment. This isn't unique here, but it's something that I think needs more discussion.<br />
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Overall, I had a lot of fun with Batman: Arkham Origins. It had the same addictive combat/exploration/stealth/puzzle solving combination that made the series such a hit, with just enough new ideas to keep things interesting. It's not a ground breaking entry to the series, but it does prove that even without Rocksteady Studios behind it, the series can live on. I'm looking forward to seeing what Arkham Knights can add to this formula next year. Before I end this, I figured I'd add an interesting youtube compilation I stumbled across featuring nine different on-screen portrayals of the moment that created Batman...<br />
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<br />Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-8165352352583721802014-12-05T11:00:00.000-05:002015-02-01T09:58:22.444-05:00The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo, 2013)<div dir="ltr">
When Nintendo first announced the 3DS with <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D </a>as a launch title, my mind quickly began racing about the possibility of new original 3D Legend of Zelda adventures utilizing the <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Ocarina of Time</a> engine. At the time, it was still a closely guarded secret that <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/trailer-nintendo-3ds-legend-of-zelda.html">Majora's Mask 3D</a> was also in the works. Years later, when the first 3DS exclusive Legend of Zelda title was finally announced, I was admittedly surprised that it bore little resemblance to <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Ocarina of Time</a>, but I was even more caught off guard by how much it looked like another Zelda classic, A Link to the Past. This game of course was The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.</div>
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The Legend of Zelda is a confusing series to follow. Not only are the games released in a different order than they take place, but there are also multiple timelines that run parallel to each other. While the occasional direct sequel does happen, it generally involves exploring a new area far from the events of the previous game as in Wind Waker to Phantom Hourglass or <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Ocarina of Time</a> to<a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/trailer-nintendo-3ds-legend-of-zelda.html"> Majora's Mask</a>, or revisiting the same area so long after the events of the previous game that the world is unrecognizable as in <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Ocarina of time</a> to Wind Waker or Phantom Hourglass to Spirit Tracks. A Link Between Worlds breaks this mold by returning us to the world of Link to the Past, released more than two decades earlier.<br />
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Although the graphics are presented in 3D polygons rather than 2D sprites, it's remarkable how well the look and feel of the Link to the Past map presents itself in this new format. If you're one of the many who has completed this classic SNES adventure on multiple occasions, you'll feel like you've returned home as you wander through familiar environments noticing the subtle changes that have occurred during the generations that have passed between these games. In addition, many of' the boss battles from Link to the Past have been reimagined in 3 dimensions, to make it that much more of a nostalgia trip.</div>
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It's worth noting that as consistently universally acclaimed as console Zelda titles have generally been, mobile titles of the series have been much more hit or miss. Oddly, it's generally been the Capcom produced mobile titles such as Minish Cap and the Oracle series that feel the most like true Zelda games, while Nintendo's own attempts such as Link's Awakening and the DS titles tend to have more of a lighthearted, childlike, and comical approach. With A Link Between Worlds, the big N has finally bucked that trend by actually taking a mobile Legend of Zelda game seriously, and producing something as emotionally moving and meaningful as many of the "real" games.</div>
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Okay, that's enough pretext into what the game isn't, but now let's talk about what The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds actually is.When you really look at it, A Link Between Worlds is a classic 2D Zelda game, simply rendered using modern technology. If you grew up on the old-school Zeldas, you'll feel right at home with this one. On the other hand, if you tend to think of <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Ocarina of Time</a> as "the first one" and never could figure out why people made such a big deal out of the classics, then maybe this isn't the game for you.<br />
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While it would have looked a little different, most of A Link Between Worlds could have easily existed on the SNES or GBA and still been just as enjoyable. The exception to this is the game's biggest new feature, the ability to turn into a flat painting and travel along walls. Reminiscent of the indie platformer Sideway, Link can become a piece of living graffiti opening a hidden world within the world. Surprisingly, by becoming flat, the world becomes more 3D as the camera zooms in and follows you to allow movement around objects, letting you finally see what the backs of all of these houses look like. Paintings of hearts or rupees become real items in this mode, but so do painted enemies. The most inventive use of this ability is how it relates to exploration allowing you access to new areas of the overworld and dungeons, as well as the magical slits that lead between the two parallel worlds.<br />
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The parallel worlds scenario has been a staple of many Zelda adventures. <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Ocarina of Time</a> and Oracle of Ages used time travel, while Oracle of Seasons presented four versions of the world, one for each season. A Link Between Worlds follows more along the path of Twilight Princess and, unsurprisingly, A Link to the Past by presenting a light and dark world. This dark version of Hyrule is called Lorule. Yes, it's a bad play on words, but luckily it's a rare exception. Unlike the previous dark world examples, Lorule has its own bustling population with their own problems and issues. The story focuses closely on the citizens of both kingdoms and how these worlds interact. Parts of the story reminded me of the second and third seasons of the show Fringe in how it handled this delicate balance.<br />
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In case you've played the DS titles and have less than fond memories of fumbling about with the stylus, you can rest assured that this time Nintendo has remembered how to use buttons again. Sure, the touch screen is still utilized for navigating menus and switching items, and works smoothly for those tasks, but for the most part you'll be using the hardware's actual controls for playing the game, which allows it the tight and responsive controls you'd expect from an action adventure game. No more having to blow into the microphone in the middle of a boss fight!</div>
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A Link Between Worlds does do its share of experimenting though, especially when it comes to the items. Ever since the original The Legend of Zelda, it's been the standard that each dungeon contains a new item, and usually these items allow you to reach the next dungeon's location in the overworld. These new goodies are acquired one at a time, giving you time to master each before getting distracted by your next new toy. And, as they say on Wheel of Fortune, once you win a prize, it's yours to keep. This time around, things are a bit different. Early on in the game, Link's house is converted into an item shop, but at first you are unable to purchase these items, only rent them.<br />
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This changes things up in a few ways. More items are available earlier on in the game, but you only have them until you die, making the prospect of running out of hearts much more threatening. Later on you also get the opportunity to purchase the items, if you have enough rupees that is. One of the problems Zelda games have had in the past is that at a certain point you simply run out of things to buy unless you're in a hurry to refill your ammo, and then the rupees become meaningless. This new approach allows you to have access to what you need, but still gives you motivation to save up towards it, making the economy of the game stay active longer.<br />
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But what about buying ammo? In past Zelda games I'd almost always have the boomerang equipped as my secondary item, at least until I got a hookshot. It made sense, a ranged weapon that could be used as often as I want without worries of resource management allows for more carefree gameplay. This Time, I tended to use the bombs and arrows much more than I had in the past. Why would this be? In the Zelda games, arrows and bombs are more than simply weapons for dispensing your foes, they are keys to unlock solutions to the puzzles blocking your path so you can continue on in your adventures. Running out of either in regular combat could mean having to backtrack when you reach that next roadblock. A Link Between Worlds uses a recharging mechanic that is shared between all of your items, as well as your wall painting mode. This takes the pressure off, and lets you bomb away without fear.<br />
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From what I've seen in discussion boards, reviews, and simply in casual conversations, the most divisive aspect of A Link Between Worlds is the art style. The art team on this game had a clear vision to recreate the look and feel of A Link to the Past, and make it come to life in 3D. They pulled this off beautifully, even though it meant modeling vertical objects at strange angles in order to replicate the impossible perspectives implied by its 2D predecessor. Unfortunately, recreating the hand drawn cartoon style in a more solid form lends it a strange look that some find to be too simple and lacking detail. Those less familiar with the earlier games especially seem to be turned off by the visuals, while those of us with fond memories of Link's 8 and 16-bit days tend to be more appreciative of this style. You'll have to decide for yourself what to think on this point.<br />
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Since this is a 3DS release, it's worth mentioning the actual stereoscopic 3D aspects. Being a top down 2.5D style game on mostly flat planes, the 3D effects are mostly subtle. They do give a little more depth to things, but for most of the game you won't miss much if you turn down the 3D slider, or play it on a 2DS instead. There are exceptions though, mostly later in the game. There is an open multi-leveled fortress that must be explored in which seeing how far away paths and platforms of lower levels are really helps out in solving the puzzles and navigating the mazes of the structure. The most noticeable moment however is while descending through the lava filled caverns of Death Mountain. There is an extended section of carefully timed jumps from moving platforms onto other moving platforms far below. The added benefit of depth perception on these wild leaps can't be understated!<br />
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In my opinion, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is the greatest original 3DS game I've played so far. On a platform littered with re-release ports and mobile inspired casual titles, having a lengthy epic adventure that takes itself seriously is a welcome change. I've always found it odd that games for mobile platforms which can be played anywhere at any time tend to be short and repetitive, while the sprawling time consuming experiences are generally linked to the platforms I have the least amount of time to play. This game provides the portable adventure many of us crave, and if you've been looking for something like that, this is one not to miss!</div>
Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-82242398043847276912014-11-13T08:45:00.000-05:002015-01-28T16:59:17.682-05:00Flow Free (Big Duck Games/Noodlecake Studios, 2012)Games come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and styles to appeal to a wide range of gamers, many of whom don't even consider themselves gamers. If Mom's playing Candy Crush on her iPhone while Junior blasts through <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/trailer-official-call-of-duty-advanced.html">Call of Duty</a> on his XBox as Grandmom works out Sunday's crossword puzzle on an iPad, they are all gamers. From <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/freecell-solitaire-softick-2009.html">Solitaire</a> to <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/cut-rope-zeptolab-2010.html">Cut the Rope</a>, one of the fastest growing genres is mobile puzzle games. The simple to approach interfaces and short session times make them ideal for a quick distraction to idle away your hours on the go. One such game that's been taking up a lot of my time lately is Flow Free.<br />
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The basic idea of Flow Free is that you're presented with a black grid containing multiple colored dots, two dots of each color. You need to connect dots of the same color by dragging a path between them, and end up with every pair of dots connected in a way that fills every piece of the grid. It's a simple premise, and the challenge level scales well from simple to total brain stumper.<br />
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Puzzles in Flow Free are arranged based on grid size. From the main menu, you can select any size grid without having to have completed the previous sizes, allowing you to jump right into whatever level of challenge you are in the mood for. This approach makes the game more accessible to casual players, and allows the easier earlier levels to be skipped if they don't provide enough difficulty, but on the other hand, you do lose out on any sense of progression you might get otherwise.<br />
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Lacking a progression map may seem like it would make the game less addictive, but if it does, I didn't notice. This is one of those "Just one more level" games that is difficult to put down. It loads fast and remembers where you left off, so it's a quick go-to when waiting in line, waiting for a download, waiting for a text reply, or just plain waiting. I found myself going through the lists on my phone until I'd completed every puzzle, even the larger ones intended for tablets, with a careful hand they are playable on a decent size phone screen, iPhone 5 users may have trouble with them though.<br />
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As the grids get larger, the number of dots increase, and with them, the number of colors used. This is where an unavoidable problem arises, there just aren't really that many different looking colors. Sure it's easy to tell the red dot from the green dot, but when you finally snake a path from the blue dot across the screen only to find that the other blue dot is slightly darker and therefor a different color, it gets frustrating. Sometimes it seemed like they stuck with slight brightness variations of the different colors too much when altering the saturation as well might have made them stand out more, but with a careful eye, all of the puzzles are still playable.<br />
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Another issue was with the puzzle designs themselves. Some of them were clever intricate bits of brilliance with only a single possible solution that must be deduced from the clues provided. Others were more sloppy messes with large empty spaces that just need to be filled in by whichever color you're connecting last. It's as if the designer was more inspired some days and just phoning it in others, or else there were more than one designer, and some were just better than the rest. The way they are mixed together gives the game an inconsistent feel rather than a progressive ramp up, possibly another reason why they opened access to all of the puzzles from the start.<br />
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While it's far from a perfect game, Flow Free still managed to capture my attention for more hours than I would have thought. Some of the more difficult puzzles had me stumped for days at a time, and one particular puzzle took me weeks to figure out. If you've been keeping an eye open for a simple free mobile game to kill time with, then Flow Free may be exactly what you need.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-49767665080941859772014-11-10T22:40:00.000-05:002015-01-28T17:20:43.752-05:00Bastion (Supergiant Games/WarnerBros. Interactive Entertainment, 2011/2012)<div dir="ltr">
I talked a lot about clones in my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/ittle-dew-ludosity-2013.html">Ittle Dew</a> review, and about how most games released these days are slight variations on existing ideas. The recent renaissance in indie games by smaller groups or even individuals has lead to some pretty radical new gaming concepts, but sometimes games come along that manage to give us something we're already familiar with, but in a new way that makes it feel like something fresh and unique. This is the case with Bastion.</div>
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If you had to categorize Bastion, it would be an Action RPG with Hack n' Slash combat, but that immediately brings up images of <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">Legend of Zelda</a> mixed with <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/god-of-war-santa-monicasony-2005.html">God of War</a> as seen in the <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/01/darksiders-ii-vigilthq-2012.html">Darksiders</a> series, and really Bastion is not at all like those games. It has a laid back patient pace to it, and a strong charm that while not exactly whimsical, is definitely leaning in that direction.</div>
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Much of this charm comes from the ongoing narration. Ever since Joe Montana II: Sports Talk football for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, sports game fans have seen, or heard rather, the evolution of real time play-by-play commentary, and while it's nothing new in the world of digital ball tossing, it's something rarely featured in adventure games. Bastion utilizes this technology to tell you a story in past tense about not just the main objectives and plot points, but what you are doing moment to moment, and how well you are handling various situations. It's a surreal experience that pushes the art of interactive storytelling into new territory. Hopefully it becomes a trend and we can see how far it can go.</div>
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I mentioned the Hack n' Slash roots of the gameplay, and as would be expected, Bastion has a very active combat system. What I found unique was how large of a variety of weapons the game offered the player, and how different the gameplay felt with each weapon. It's not uncommon for action games to have fully fleshed out projectile vs melee combat systems, but the differences between using a sword vs spear vs hammer, or a shotgun vs bow and arrow vs machine gun felt almost like playing different games.</div>
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You are able to carry any two weapons at a time, and since they map to different buttons on the controller, switching between them seamlessly becomes a large part of the experience. Optional training areas for each weapon are available as side missions allowing you to learn the pros and cons of each without the need for standard tutorials, and really help in trying to find the combination that best matches your preferred play style.</div>
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Try not to get too comfortable with any one play style though. As you progress through the many environments and enemy types Bastion has to offer, you'll be changing up your equipment of choice to best suit whatever challenge you find yourself up against. What works great against swarms won't get you far in a boss fights, and the best way to take down larger enemies won't work well when attracted by quicker moving airborne foes. Some areas require a more focused style of play, while others demand flexibility.</div>
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Throughout Bastion, resources are collected that can be used to upgrade your character, or your weapons, allowing the ability to further customize your playing experience by making your weapons stronger or faster, or increasing it's range or ammunition capacity. The ability to perform these upgrades isn't available right away however, first you must upgrade your main base of operations, the Bastion itself.</div>
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Bastion takes place right after a horrible accident destroys the world. You play as The Kid, as you try to reassemble some of the pieces to build a small bit of habitable land floating in the vast nothingness, all the while befriending fellow survivors and unlocking the mystery to discover the cause of the calamity. Each character has their own back story, and their own take on the land's history. The Kid's story gets fleshed out the most, and there are some touching moments as he discovers the fate of his lost loved ones. This is where the narrator really helps, allowing the emotions to surface in more of a literary way, rather than a typical cinematic approach.</div>
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Visually, Bastion also manages to stand out from other games. The 2D isometric artwork presents a detailed world that flows into place from the empty vastness beneath as The Kid nears an edge. Everything has a strong and consistent style to it that packs just the right amount of eye candy into it so it never seems stale, but never gets distracting. This is complimented by the laid back twangy yet atmospheric music reminiscent of some of the lighter soundtrack pieces from the <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/borderlands-2-gearbox-software2k-games.html">Borderlands</a> series.</div>
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Bastion's relaxed pace brand of introspective combat adventuring may not appeal to gamers looking for pure adrenaline fueled twitch combat, and the desolate world devoid of traditional towns and NPCs may feel a bit lonely for rabid RPG fans, but if you've been on the lookout for something that feels just a bit different, Bastion is an experience you won't want to miss out on.</div>
Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-56950531181809659562014-11-07T15:57:00.001-05:002014-11-07T16:02:19.671-05:00[TRAILER] Nintendo 3DS - The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D - Announcement TrailerOk, I've been posting a lot of trailers on here lately, but this is the one I'm most excited for:<br />
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Ever since <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d.html">The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D</a> was announced as a 3DS launch title, there's been a lot of speculation as to its sequel also being adapted. Now we know, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D will be making its way to our portable screens in the near future so a whole new generation of gamers can experience what is undoubtedly the strangest chapter of the Zelda series.<br />
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I might even pre-order this one!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-13537971575912846542014-11-07T15:35:00.001-05:002014-11-07T16:01:47.403-05:00[TRAILER] OverWatch Trailer Premiere At Blizzcon 2014Remember when Blizzard announced that they were canceling Titan recently? Well, it looks like they're hanging onto a lot of what they'd made and reworking it into a shooter instead...<br />
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Overwatch looks interesting, but there's not a lot of information yet on exactly what it is. Is it a <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/defiance-trion-worldshuman-head-studios.html">Defiance</a> style MMO Shooter? Is it a new MOBA? Is it the next Team Fortress? It goes beta in 2015, but until more info starts leaking, we'll just have to wonder.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-60079540725136190332014-10-30T08:41:00.001-04:002014-11-07T16:02:31.618-05:00[TRAILER] FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 - Enter the FrayI've been aware of the Final Fantasy series since the first game launched for the NES in 1987, but I wasn't really a fan until the 16-bit SNES releases. It wasn't until Final Fantasy VII in 1997 that the series became a mainstream success, and it's been part of the gaming culture since then.<br />
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Games of the Final Fantasy series tend to have vastly different moods and settings. There's usually a combination of medieval fantasy, steampunk, and sci-fi, but the balance shifts from game to game. Lately, the series has been leaning more towards the contemporary to futuristic end of the spectrum, but this trailer seems to be harkening back to the magic combination that made the mid-90s games so memorable.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-68442078812662224302014-10-29T10:10:00.001-04:002014-11-07T16:02:47.974-05:00[TRAILER] Official Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare Gameplay Launch TrailerSome game franchises have started releasing sequels so regularly that they become less like novels and more like magazine subscriptions. One of those franchises is Call of Duty. The frequency of new releases tends to turn away as many players as it attracts as the constant hype cycle fades into white noise.<br />
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That said, this new trailer caught my attention...<br />
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Back in the early CD-ROM days when Full Motion Video was a new gimmick, games based entirely around FMV were a popular genre. Once the novelty of watching video in a videogame started to wear off, celebrities were quickly recruited in an effort to stave off the genre's inevitable demise just a bit longer. Once games jumped from sprites to polygons, celebrity likenesses in games were still attempted, but turned out awkward and embarrassing more often than not.<br />
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Technology has come a long way in the decades since then, and modeling, rendering, and motion-capture capabilities of modern hardware allow a better opportunity for celebrity appearances.<br />
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Kevin Spacey plays a large role in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and if his performance is anywhere near as good as he's been in House of Cards lately, this alone might be enough to make people who've been lukewarm on the series for a while to take another look.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-28874857248295078152014-10-28T13:13:00.000-04:002015-01-28T17:34:23.176-05:00The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo, 2011)How do you review a game that's not just a classic, but according to some people the greatest game of all time? What is there to say about it that hasn't been said before? I've mentioned The Legend of Zelda series several times in my reviews. It's had an obvious influence on games such as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/beyond-good-evil-ubisoft-2003.html">Beyond Good and Evil</a> and the <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/01/darksiders-ii-vigilthq-2012.html">Darksiders</a> series, and was payed deliberate tribute to in games such as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/evoland-shiro-games-2013.html">Evoland</a>, <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/ittle-dew-ludosity-2013.html">Ittle Dew</a>, and <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/3d-dot-game-heroes-from-softwareatlus.html">3D Dot Game Heroes</a>.<br />
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The original The Legend of Zelda was actually the third game I ever played on the NES (Metroid was the first, Rygar was the second), and the new approach to gaming it offered through a unique combination of exploration, combat, and puzzle solving over a vast variety of settings is something that stuck with me. During the summer of 2011 I was playing through Ocarina of Time again and thinking how great it would be to see an updated version. It was only a couple months later that I saw the announcement from Nintendo that it was being revived for the 3DS. One wonderful xmas gift from my awesome wife later, and I was finally playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.<br />
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Before I get into the actual review, I just want to point out how ironic this name is. The meaning of the term 3D in the context of videogames has been constantly evolving. At first, any game with graphics (I'm leaving out text adventures for now) took place entirely on a two dimensional plane. At a certain point, games started calculating positions in three dimensions, even though the graphics were still displayed as 2D sprites, this gave us games such as Sonic 3D Blast. Eventually, we had primitive 3D worlds populated by 2D sprites in games such as Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D. Once games dropped the 2D sprites for polygon based models, they were referred to as 3D games, and sprite based games such as Sonic 3D Blast were the 2D games. Then, we got 3D displays, both at home with 3D TVs and on the go with the 3DS. So, now the polygon worlds are 2D games, and the games supporting 3D displays are the 3D games, even if they are 2D sprite based. It's also worth pointing out that none of these new games are actually presenting us with a 3D image, simply separate 2D images for each eye, creating an illusion of 3D, so at some point in the future the term is sure to change meanings once again. Anyway, on with the review!<br />
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As this is a remake, it makes sense to start by pointing out the differences between this game and its N64 predecessor. While several design elements were altered, the most noticeable differences are with the game's visuals. Back in 1998, Ocarina of Time was considered a nice looking game, but as the N64 was Nintendo's first attempt at a dedicated 3D console (not counting the handful of SNES Super FX Chip titles) the low poly models and pixelated textures look awfully primitive by today's standards. For this version, all of the character, item, and environment models have been replaced by much higher poly-count versions, and all new textures were included providing a more detailed world.<br />
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This alone would have convinced a lot of players to pluck down their cash on a remake, but Nintendo took things just a bit further and took advantage of this opportunity to fix a couple visual elements where they had to cheat things a bit to get around the N64s limitations. After the opening cinematics, the game finally begins in Link's tree hut home. Later, you venture into the bustling city of Hyrule Castle Town. If you were playing this in the 90s, you remember both of these areas being presented as grainy stretched images in a primitive version of what would later become the Google Street View style of environmental mapping. This time around these are full realtime rendered 3D modeled worlds that pop out of the 3DS display. The same is true for details such as the statues in Zelda's garden, which were previously 2D billboard style sprites due to the N64's polygon limitations.<br />
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With all of the visual upgrades, it's interesting to notice that the audio hasn't changed. If anything, this is a statement to the quality of the original music and sound effects, more than a lack of effort on the part of the developers. Music is a very important part of Ocarina of Time, not just to the experience, but also to the gameplay and even the storyline. As such, updating the music could easily have altered the feel of the game. Given the hardware differences between the N64 and 3DS, the amount of effort needed to keep the sound the same must have been monumental in itself.<br />
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In addition to the updated graphics, several design elements also got a touch up. The five notes of the titular ocarina mapped nicely to the N64 controller, but are more awkward on the 3DS, needing a combination of triggers and face buttons. The touch screen allows an alternate method of playing through your songs. The touch screen also comes in handy for switching items or swapping equipment. The 3DS's accelerometer works great for quickly looking around and aiming with the first person weapons such as the bow or slingshot. A hint system has been included that can play helpful videos when you get completely stuck. Yes, it's cheating, but it means you don't have to pull up that walkthrough on your smartphone. And speaking of being completely stuck...<br />
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If you ask almost anybody who's ever played through The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time what the most frustrating part of the whole game is, the response you'll hear most often is the Water Temple. The problem with this temple is that there are switches hidden throughout the structure that change the water levels, meaning areas that were previously dry are later under water. This much is already disorienting, but in the coarse of solving the Temple's puzzles the water level must be changed multiple times, and due to the limited texture memory of the system, all of the corridors tended to look the same, making these switches hard to find when you need them. This time around there are highlighted passageways with glowing color coded paths leading to each of these switches. Sure, it's still the most frustrating part of the game, but you'll be much less tempted to throw your 3DS out the window than you would have been.<br />
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So, we've pretty much got a nicer looking version of a game you've probably already played and a handful of design improvements, is that all? Well, no, it's not. Way back in 2002, if you pre-ordered a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, it came with a bonus disk. This disk included a copy of Ocarina of Time that ran on the Gamecube at a higher frame rate and supported progressive scan. But, it also contained something called Master Quest. If you've ever played the first 8-but NES The Legend of Zelda, you might have noticed that after you defeat Ganon, the game starts over with harder enemies and new dungeons. The Master Quest was similarly an alternate Ocarina of Time. The main environment maps for each dungeon remained unchanged, but the all new puzzles had you navigating the rooms in a different order. It was a much harder game, and after mastering the original, it was a great challenge. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D contains a the entire Master Quest version, but with a twist, the entire world has been flipped left to right as with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess when it moved from the Gamecube to the Wii.<br />
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So, what if you've never played Ocarina of Time before? Well, in that case, much of this review probably doesn't mean all that much to you, so I'll simplify it for you. Go play it. Seriously, right now! It was an amazing game in 1998, and it's still an amazing game now. It set the standard for 3D adventures, and invented Z targeting which has become the norm for just about every third person action game since. It raised videogame storytelling to new levels and gave us unique and memorable characters. Is it perfect? No. But, even with the long winded owl and the constant "Hey, listen!" it's still a great game. Is it the greatest game ever made? That's a mater of opinion, and I'm not going to weigh in on that debate, but it is a game I highly recommend.<br />
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Bottom line, if you've played Ocarina of Time before, and want to experience it in a whole new way, play this game. If you've never played Ocarina of Time before, this is the best way to start. If you just plain don't like Ocarina of time, you probably still won't, so you might as well stay away. With the irony of so many of the better 3DS games being 2D or 2.5D games, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D provides the immersive 3D adventure this hardware begs for, and for that, it's worth having as part of your 3DS library.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-87080417135601580062014-10-23T11:45:00.000-04:002015-02-02T11:28:22.391-05:00Portal 2 (Valve, 2011)I've written reviews on game sequels before, but this review is a little different simply because it's my first time writing about a game that's a sequel to a game I've already reviewed. Why did it take so long for this to happen? Well, mostly it's because when I first started this site I wanted a larger variety to the types of games being reviewed. This directly influenced which games I chose to play next. For example, after finishing <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/uncharted-drakes-fortune-naughty.html">Uncharted: Drake's Fortune</a>, my first instinct was to pop in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but I figured having three reviews in a row of the same series might not be as interesting, so I changed directions and went for <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/3d-dot-game-heroes-from-softwareatlus.html">3D Dot Game Heroes</a> instead.<br />
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Now, since it looks like most of my traffic comes from google searches for specific games rather than loyal readers who come back for each new post (which you totally should be doing, add me to your RSS feed already!) the lack of variety has turned out to be a much smaller issue than I'd first imagined it might be. Plus, I've had time to post quite a variety already, so I'm much less worried about getting repetitive at this point. Expect a string of Batman and Zelda reviews coming up in the near future. Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, you might want to take a minute to read my review of the first <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/portal-valve-2007.html">Portal</a>. And now, let's take a look at Portal 2.<br />
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The best way to start this review is probably to talk about what's different this time around, and the most noticeable difference has to be the approach to storytelling. In the first <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/portal-valve-2007.html">Portal</a>, you simply went through each puzzle until escaping the final stage and going rogue. For the most part, the only dialog was from the GLaDOS artificial intelligence instructing/heckling you, and the occasional mumblings of the turrets or corrupted cores.<br />
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In the sequel, you know from the start that you must escape, just not how. While you still play as Chell, the silent protagonist from the original, there are a variety of robotic characters along the way to speak to you, and to each other, providing actual dialog scenes. In addition, much of the game involves listening to pre-recorded messages, as well as watching how the others react alongside you. In typical Valve fashion, this is all achieved without ever breaking the action for a typical cut-scene, instead allowing the story to happen around you as you continue to play in more of a theme park ride style than a passive movie experience.<br />
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Portal 2 once again takes place within the compounds of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, however it's not looking so good these days. Thanks to a stasis chamber malfunction, you awaken an indeterminate but obviously really long time in the future. The game starts with a crane ride through the now rusted and decaying facility in a not so subtle tribute to the opening of the original Half-Life, the game that launched Valve's success in the first place. This unique setting allows you to visit the remains of areas from the first Portal, as well as explore more of the massive structure's area.<br />
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Throughout the game, Aperture's complete backstory is uncovered as test chambers from decades past are explored and conquered, providing a satisfying glimpse into how this unique company came to be. Cave Johnson, the founder of Aperture, becomes a major character in the game, despite never actually appearing, instead being portrayed only through a series of images and audio recordings as you roam through the offices and testing facilities of the company's forgotten areas. The vintage areas of the 1950s with wooden crate companion cubes made me smile, and the 1980s area filled me with a personal sense of nostalgia.<br />
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In my review of the first <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/portal-valve-2007.html">Portal</a>, I mentioned that the overall theme was in not always doing what you are told as those telling you what to do might be more interested in their own well being than yours. It was a unique idea, but not one that could work a second time. Instead, Portal 2 focuses on themes of trust, loyalty, and forgiveness. It's not always clear who is your ally or enemy. Those who are your enemies might be victims themselves, and may need to be rescued rather than defeated. It's a change of pace from the standard black and white tales of good versus evil we are often given. It's also a rare story in that the NPCs are dynamic characters with story arcs of their own as they travel a path of self discovery. Not bad considering it's all machines.<br />
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It's not just the same game with a new story though, Portal 2 has plenty of new tricks up its sleeve. In addition to the standard weighted cube, there are reflective cubes that can redirect lasers. There are hard light bridges that can be routed through your portals to get you across various areas. Then, there are the tractor beams that can move you or other objects through the air. Those alone would be enough of an update to merit a sequel, but then there are the gels.<br />
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Three separate gels can be found throughout the game, and must be applied to your environment to make the puzzles solvable. There's the always fun blue bouncy gel that transforms any surface into a trampoline, the orange speed gel that lets you run in credibly fast, and jump much farther than otherwise possible, and then a white gel that lets any surface host portals. You can imagine how useful those can be, even if it takes some careful planning to get portals in place to apply each gel where you need them. Water spouts can also be used to remove any gel if you change your mind.<br />
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Lately, Valve has been pushing hard into making multiplayer gaming the definitive future of gaming. They even declared that Portal 2 would be their last release to feature single player content. This pretty much sucks for anybody hoping to ever play a new Portal or Half Life game. As part of this push, Portal 2 features a multiplayer mode as well. As interesting as a Portal themed MMO might be, this is simply a two player cooperative mode campaign with trickier puzzles requiring both players working together to solve. Honestly, I didn't play this mode. Part of the fun of this game is immersing myself in a new world, and having to talk everything out with somebody else would spoil that illusion. Still, it's there if that's your thing.<br />
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Portal 2 is a game that was highly recommended to me, and in my opinion the hype is well deserved. While the first <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/portal-valve-2007.html">Portal</a> was a short single serving of a puzzle, the sequel is a sprawling adventure that makes me glad to be a gamer. Hopefully, Valve will at some point ease up on their multiplayer only stance and grace us with a third, but until then, at least we have this one. So, if you own a computer, and you've never played either game, log onto Steam, wait for the next ridiculous holiday blowout sale, and do yourself a favor!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-23128468545466841242014-10-17T10:53:00.000-04:002015-02-02T11:17:31.571-05:00Mark of the Ninja (Klei Entertainment/Microsoft Studios, 2012/2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Let's talk about ninjas. If you were a child in the 80s, ninjas were kind of a big deal. They were our cowboys. Movies, comics, cartoons, and TV shows constantly fed our insatiable appetites for these ultimate warriors who combined the martial arts prowess of the 70s Kung Fu star with the graphic violence of the slasher flick villain and we couldn't get enough. The problem with these passive forms of entertainment though is that you don't actually get to be the ninja yourself. Enter videogames to solve the problem. Classic ninja games such as Shinobi and <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/ninja-gaiden-tecmo-198819891991.html">Ninja Gaiden</a> gave us access to the moves, weapons, and action of the ninja genre, but something was missing. Ninjas were history's invisible assassins, not feudal era commandos. It wasn't until decades later that the ninja genre finally combined successfully with the stealth genre with Mark of the Ninja.</div>
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Mark of the Ninja is the type of game that likes to combine elements of various established genres and make them its own. It's not as gimmicky as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/evoland-shiro-games-2013.html">Evoland</a>, and not as blatant as the <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/01/darksiders-ii-vigilthq-2012.html">Darksiders</a> games. At its core, Mark of the Ninja is a 2D side scrolling platformer. Anyone who's been keeping up with my reviews knows that I have a definite fondness for those. To start with, your ninja is as acrobatic as would be expected, leaping around and scaling walls and ceilings in a classic Strider meets Spiderman fashion.<br />
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That sets up a good foundation, but then we add the stealth elements. As far as stealth games go, I'd say it leans more towards the Batman: Arkham series than it does the Splinter Cell style. Like the caped crusader, you'll use a variety of hidden takedown moves including grabbing people through vents, from under the floor, and while hanging upside down from a rope. These takedown moves are important, because the direct combat is a lot less effective than you might expect.<br />
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Mark of the Ninja is not a brawler, a beat'mup, or a button masher. It's a puzzle game hidden in an action game shell, even more so than with other such games such as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/hotline-miami-dennaton-gamesdevolver.html">Hotline Miami</a>. Your greatest adversary is the level design itself. That's not to say that there aren't actual enemies, there are plenty of those, but they feel more like pieces of a larger puzzle while playing through it. It's not a pure puzzle though, as you almost always have multiple ways of approaching any situation. Sometimes it's best to crawl through an air duct and silently take out a sniper from behind before dealing with the machine gunner on the ground, but other times you're more in the mood to just grapple up above the ground troops and hit the sniper with a well timed dagger before he can respond.<br />
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Adding to the challenge of the levels is a line of sight mechanics that obscures any part of the area that your ninja wouldn't be able to see. This means that not only can you hide from the enemy, but the enemy can also hide from you. Visual clues illustrate where on the screen sounds are coming from, so sometimes you can tell that somebody is walking across a room, but not who it is until you take a peak.<br />
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If the levels themselves aren't pushing your skills quite enough, Mark of the Ninja also provides a number of optional Challenge Rooms hidden throughout the map. These rooms are much more difficult than the game's usual pace, and take various elements such as laser traps and turrets and turn them into a frustrating series of mechanical death that I found incredibly satisfying to work through.<br />
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It's not all monotonous repetition though. Throughout the game you collect honor (XP points) that can be spent on upgrades which unlock new moves or improve your stats. There are bonuses for not being detected, or taking down all of the enemies in an area, giving you an incentive to replay levels either to be a completionist, or just to get more upgrades if you're having trouble in later levels. It never gets into RPG levels of depth, but it definitely meets the standards of most modern action games.<br />
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So, what exactly is Mark of the Ninja about? It's a story of betrayal, conspiracy, revenge, and a descent into insanity. You play as an unnamed member of a ninja clan who has just received what basically amounts to a magic tattoo. As the chemicals from the ink seep into your system, they enhance your abilities, but also drive you insane. It's a story of plot twists and ambiguous choices as you uncover the mystery of who betrayed the clan, and stop a resulting plot involving an army of armed mercenaries. As the insanity kicks in, you begin to question your reality Total Recall style. It doesn't dive as deep into the subject as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/alice-madness-returns-spicy.html">Alice: Madness Returns</a>, but it still handles it well.<br />
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Much of this is portrayed through in game dialog which helps you feel as if you're actually part of the story, but the real magic is in the game's cutscenes. These between level cinematics are beautifully animated and give life to the world. Oddly though, as prevalent as anime influence is in videogames, this story which takes place in Japan by a Japanese protagonist has a distinctly American animation style.<br />
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In an age of endless retro graphics pixel art releases, it's refreshing to see quality 2D visuals. Everything is well drawn and shaded to create a stunning dark moody atmosphere. Lighting effects allow for strong shadows to hide in, and the muted blurring used by the line of sight system mentioned earlier gives Mark of the Ninja a unique and impressive look. It's no slouch on the audio side either with a combination of composed score and atmospheric background drones setting the tone under the game's organic sound effects that make everything feel just a bit more solid.<br />
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I've been rambling on about how much I enjoyed this game, and it is a great game, but it's not perfect. As some other reviewers have mentioned, you do spend way more time dodging laser traps than a contemporary ninja story possibly should, and a few of the rooms felt unbalanced as if they just tossed in as many guys as they could rather than creating memorable obstacles. The game is also a bit on the short side which could be a plus or a minus depending on how big your Steam backlog has gotten. Overall, I had a great time with Mark of the Ninja, and if you're at all into stealth, platforming, or ninjas, you probably will too.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-22692357288006132442014-10-09T09:05:00.001-04:002015-02-01T10:27:12.391-05:00[GUEST REVIEW] Clash of Clans (Supercell, 2012)I'm going to do something a little different with this post. My wife has been playing a lot of Clash of Clans lately and posted a review for it in the Google Play store. Since I happen to have a game review blog, I figure I'd share it on here as well. Enjoy!<br />
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I was afraid to start playing this game, and for good reason - it is addicting! There's always something to be done: upgrading your gold mines and elixir collectors, training troops, pillaging neighboring villages, you name it! I started playing the game on a day off and was up to level 10 by night's end. A great exercise in managing your resources and stealing others' ;)<br />
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Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-11807173059079555762014-09-27T13:08:00.000-04:002015-01-28T17:47:36.146-05:00Guacamelee! (Drinkbox Studios, 2013/2014)Springtime in New England is the time of year when the snow melts, the birds return, the trees sprout leaves, and major videogame developers from around the globe gather in Boston for the annual PAX East convention. There are always big game announcements at the show, but I tend to get excited for the more unexpected titles. This past year was probably a toss up between Octodad and Throw Trucks With Your Mind. In 2012, it was <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/ducktales-remastered-capcomwayforward.html">DuckTales Remastered</a> that really took me by surprise. But in 2011, the biggest smile on my face happened while learning about Guacamelee!<br />
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There have been a few different versions released of Guacamelee! for different systems including Gold Edition and Super Turbo Championship Edition, but for this review I'll stick to the core game that's common to all of the releases. Personally, I played the Gold Edition on PC, but whether you're on a Vita, a Wii U, or a Surface Pro, the basics of the game are still the same.<br />
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So, what is Guacamelee!? In my <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/ittle-dew-ludosity-2013.html">Ittle Dew</a> review I talked about clones, as it was an obvious tribute to the Legend of Zelda series. Guacamelee! takes a similar approach, but uses the Metroid series as its source of inspiration instead. Metroid clones, or Metroidvanias, have become common enough to be a declared a legitimate genre of their own, and Guacamelee! proudly plants its flag directly in the center of this genre.<br />
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Remember those Chozo statues from the Metroid games? Here they're Choozo statues. What about the iconic Morph Ball or Maru-Mari? How about just turning into a chicken instead? Energy containers? Heart containers. Wait, heart containers? That's not Metroid, that's Zelda! Yes, while it's primarily based around a Metroid core, Guacamelee! pulls influence from other iconic games as well. One of my favorite moments was after a Super Meat Boy worthy chase scene, you reach a giant axe which destroys a bridge, dropping your pursuer into a pit of fiery lava in tribute to the original Super Mario Bros. Of coarse, this is followed promptly by a "Your princess is in another castle" quote.<br />
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This type of influence awareness and blatant referencing is a large part of the game's humor. Even in the background there are constant subtle references to various videogames, pop culture icons, and so many memes. What's unique about Guacamelee! though is that while so obviously tongue in cheek and full of jokes, the story is presented completely seriously with real emotion, or as real as you can get from typed dialog cut-scenes. Unlike <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/09/ittle-dew-ludosity-2013.html">Ittle Dew</a>, there's no breaking the fourth wall, no winking at the audience, and no breaking character. The final moments of the game's conclusion in particular are especially touching.<br />
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The story of Guacamelee! follows a Mexican agave farmer turned undead luchador as he quests to rescue El Presedente's daughter from the reanimated skeleton of one of Mexico's baddest banditos. The adventure carries you across the country both through the land of the living and the land of the dead. As with <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/giana-sisters-twisted-dreams-black.html">Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams</a>, there's a lot of carefully timed jumping back and forth between worlds.<br />
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But, what's it like to actually play Guacamelee!? While the Metroid series is all about blasting aliens with an assortment of lasers and ray guns, Guacamelee! has no guns. As the name implies, it's all about melee combat. Being a luchador, you'll be punching, kicking, and otherwise beating the snot out of all of the undead agents of evil you encounter. Additional moves are learned along the way that in addition to providing new ways to beat up the baddies, allow you to access new areas as you advance through the game.<br />
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These new moves not only increase your mobility, they also allow you to break through various obstacles. The obstacles themselves are color coded to indicate which of the special moves is required to destroy them. This is important to note because later in the game there are enemies protected by colored shields which can only be broken by the appropriate special move as well. This is reminiscent of the color coded armor worn by the space pirates in Metroid Prime which revealed which of Samus' weapons would be effective. There are also enemies that can only be hurt while your luchador is in the correct world, living or dead. As you can imagine, a screen full of various color coded enemies spread between the two worlds takes a great deal more strategy to contend with than your average beat 'em up.<br />
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Visually, Guacamelee! has a rather unique style. It reminded me mostly of the Samurai Jack animated series. It's not flat, not realistic, not really a traditional cartoony style either despite being highly stylized with exaggerated proportions. It's a look that fits well with the subject matter however. Add in some flamenco guitar and mariachi serenading and the audio track compliments the visuals just as nicely.<br />
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As would be expected, the world of Guacamelee! is quite expansive with a number of large interconnected areas. Being a Metroidvania, you'll also have plenty of backtracking to contend with as you try to figure out where to go next and how to get there. Gamers either love this or hate it, so keep this in mind as you decide whether or not this is a title you feel like sinking your time into. Luckily there is a useful fast travel system which manages to speed up the process without nerfing the experience.<br />
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As a huge fan of Metroidvanias with a soft spot for beat 'em ups, this game felt like it was designed specifically for me. If you have similar tastes, you'll probably love this well polished game. If backtracking and exploration aren't generally your thing, but you're all about delivering flying uppercuts while double jumping across bottomless chasms, you might still get a kick out of Guacamelee! It might not be for everybody, but this is a game that will make a lot of people happy.Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-26747219403046131892014-09-23T13:08:00.001-04:002015-01-28T17:58:38.858-05:00Ittle Dew (Ludosity, 2013)Let's talk about clones. The videogame industry is full of them. Every genre has its share of games that borrow ideas from others. In fact, videogame genres themselves only exist because of this. Pong lead to Breakout and Arkanoid, Space Invaders evolved into the shooter/bullet hell scene, Donkey Kong launched the entire platformer genre, and Pac-Man inspired the top down maze adventures that eventually morphed into first person shooters. Think about that next time you load up <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/08/bioshock-2-2k-games-2010.html">Bioshock</a> or <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2014/08/borderlands-2-gearbox-software2k-games.html">Borderlands</a>, you're really just playing a more advanced game of Pac-Man.<br />
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One of those top down maze games that evolved out of our favorite yellow muncher was the 1979 title Adventure for the Atari 2600, itself a console port of the 1977 text adventure Colossal Cave Adventure. The console/PC differences were much more noticeable back in the 70s. Adventure's dragons, bats, castles, and forests directly inspired the 1986 Famicom/NES mega-hit The Legend of Zelda, which in addition to launching one of gaming's most respected and successful franchises ever, also launched a huge number of clones. Early examples include StarTropics for the NES, Neutopia for the TurboGrafx-16, and Landstalker for the Mega Drive/Genesis. Later examples include <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/beyond-good-evil-ubisoft-2003.html">Beyond Good & Evil</a> and the <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/01/darksiders-ii-vigilthq-2012.html">Darksiders</a> series. Even today, designers continue to pay direct tribute to the early Zelda games with releases such as <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/3d-dot-game-heroes-from-softwareatlus.html">3D Dot Game Heroes</a>, The Binding of Isaac, <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/evoland-shiro-games-2013.html">Evoland</a>, and the subject of this review: Ittle Dew.<br />
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Ittle Dew doesn't hold back with its obvious influences. The visual style is Link to the Past with Wind Waker's cartooniness, the opening cinematic is right out of Link's Awakening, and there's even a fairy winged companion as in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Not even the display misses out on fun featuring such familiar Zelda tropes as heart containers collected in quarters.<br />
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The plot is fairly simple. Green tunic clad adventurer Ittle Dew and her fairy/fox sidekick Tippsie are shipwrecked on a mysterious island, and need a way to escape. The only raft available is in the shop of a man named Item Carver, who happens to carve items. Will he generously donate his raft to the cause out of the goodness of his heart? Oh coarse not! First, you must go on a quest or two.<br />
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In classic Zelda style, Ittle Dew is comprised of an overworld and dungeons. As with Phantom Hourglass, there is a main dungeon that must be repeatedly visited throughout the game between trips to the others. Items are collected in the smaller dungeons which allow you to proceed farther in the larger one, which is where you collect the gold needed to purchase passage to the smaller dungeons. It's the type of back and forth mechanic that could get old in a longer game, but Ittle Dew's brevity prevents that from becoming an issue.<br />
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While not as long as most adventure games, it does provide more replay value than would be expected. Taking more from Megaman than Zelda, Ittle Dew's levels can be approached in whatever order the player chooses. This effects what items are available when playing through the other dungeons, which of coarse effects what secrets and treasures are available. Playing through a second time in a different order can provide for a much different experience. Also, a quick trip to youtube shows how popular this game has become for speed runs!<br />
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Ittle Dew's dialog is dripping with humor and sarcasm. In addition to pulling inspiration from, and paying tribute to the Zelda franchise, it also pulls no punches in poking fun at many of the genre's standard tropes. The way you refill your health by picking up a heart, the basic interaction with the enemy creatures, even the nature of the quests themselves, when taken a look at from a step back can seem a little silly. The eye winks and rib jabs stay upbeat and fun without getting annoying, which is always a risk when taking this sort of satirical approach to a game's narrative.<br />
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Ittle Dew is more than a series of cutscenes though. There's questing to be done! The gameplay itself is combination of combat and puzzle solving. The basic combat as you traverse the island's various locals is adequate, but nothing really special. As you gather more of the game's special items and begin to discover more creative methods of dispensing the different creatures the fighting starts to get more interesting, but overall the combat isn't the main draw of this game. The boss battles do kick it up a notch though by forcing you to figure out how to use your new items to turn the enemy's attacks back on itself.<br />
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The puzzles are where Ittle Dew really shines. While <a href="http://hammerdownreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/heavenly-sword-ninja-theory-2007.html">some games</a> still have trouble figuring out interesting ways to challenge your mind while adventuring, Ludosity has created some surprisingly inspired brain teasers to work your way through while on your quest to escape the island. Much of it is taken directly from Zelda canon such as lighting and extinguishing torches, striking magic crystals, and bombing through boulders and cracked rocks, but these concepts are all expanded upon to a degree that really raises the mental challenge to a new level. Some of the puzzles span multiple rooms that must be traversed in just the right order to make everything lined up, all while fighting off the dungeon's inhabitants of coarse.<br />
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While Ittle Dew might not be a great game, I had a great time playing it. It might not be a timeless classic, but it's a game that I would highly recommend to any fans of the classic Zelda games, especially because it's available on so many different platforms at this point. According to the Ludosity website, there's a sequel in the works too, so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for that!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221543563562465749.post-51657677868769453052014-09-19T13:13:00.001-04:002015-01-28T18:09:46.292-05:00DuckTales Remastered (Capcom/WayForward Technologies/Disney Interactive Studios, 2013)I grew up on the now classic games of the 80s and 90s. Even today, I still go back and play those games, as can be seen by my choice of titles to review. As fun as those games still are these days, it's a much different experience than it once was. What at one time was cutting edge and ground breaking technology is now at best quaint and retro, and at worst laughably obsolete. I still try to imagine how those titles appeared to eyes that had never seen what modern games are capable of, but much of the wow factor is simply gone.<br />
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But, what if you could actually play one of those classic games, and have it look and feel as polished and shiny as newer releases, while still retaining all of the fun it had way back then? It's a rare treat to get this opportunity, but a couple years ago at the PAX East convention I was blown away to discover just that in the surprise announcement of DuckTales Remastered.<br />
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As this is a re-imagining of an older game, I should probably start by talking about the original. In 1987, Disney premiered the DuckTales cartoon series which took Huey, Dewey, and Louie, along with their uncle Scrooge, and sent them treasure hunting around the world in adventures obviously inspired by the popularity of the Indiana Jones series. At that time, Capcom was riding high on the success of several of their original game franchises, including the Mega Man series.<br />
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Given the similarities between the two, it made sense to adapt the basic Mega Man formula when adapting DuckTales to game format, and the results were successful enough to inspire an NES sequel, as well as two Gameboy releases. Also noteworthy at a time when licensed IP games were only loosely inspired by their source material (play the NES Star Wars game to see how loosely!), every character and enemy in the game was actually from an episode of the series.<br />
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DuckTales Remastered updates the original game in just about every way, but at the same time it manages to stay true to the original. most notably, the graphics have been updated. The graphics themselves seamlessly blend the 3D environments with the hand drawn sprite animation to create a 2.5D platformer experience that matches the look of the original cartoon much more closely than the original did.<br />
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As nice as DuckTales Remastered looks, it sounds even better! They managed to reunite the voice cast from the show to reprise their roles. Even though I haven't watched an episode since the show's cancelation, these voices still ring out with so many memories that it makes me want to go back and binge watch the entire series. The original music tracks have all been reimagined as well. If you grew up with this game, you'll be humming right along.<br />
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The NES DuckTales didn't have a lot of dialog in it, so what exactly does this voice cast do? Well, DeckTales Remastered starts off a little differently than its 8-bit counterpart did. The first part of the game is a tutorial mission where Scrooge McDuck has to save his money vault from an attack by the Beagle Boys. This manages to teach the game's unique control scheme, as well as set up the story for the later levels. Back in the 80s, cartridge memory was expensive, and story setup was generally taken care of inside the instruction manual, which game designers actually expected you to read entirely before starting a game. Adding this intro level makes a big difference in modernizing the game.<br />
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The levels themselves are still playable in any order other than the final level, just as they were before. Short cut scenes before, after, and during these levels advance the plot and make the world more immersive without breaking the game flow. While the areas allow you to go in different directions and explore for the best path to your goal, it never gets into full on Metroidvania style exploration/backtracking. That's either a plus or a minus depending on your tastes, but for this game I think the style fits nicely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40fOnama756PXhId6SZELCXwicCQI_4uVneDKBmvHkHv2cX8J4z6XfOdPFaTQPA15BIItQPn362uNDMX6EyG3dSmXJ_exo1vfr0VCsqzHDIz4l2Bz_kVaD1S-cCWPYIYGvbvTZiUzWgw/s1600/ducktalesjungle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40fOnama756PXhId6SZELCXwicCQI_4uVneDKBmvHkHv2cX8J4z6XfOdPFaTQPA15BIItQPn362uNDMX6EyG3dSmXJ_exo1vfr0VCsqzHDIz4l2Bz_kVaD1S-cCWPYIYGvbvTZiUzWgw/s1600/ducktalesjungle.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Other modern elements include collectibles and a modern map. This map can be disabled at harder difficulties for an experience more similar to the original game. The controls are still just as tight and responsive as they were before. Despite being released on modern platforms with their gamepads full of buttons, the same original controls are used. I actually played this using a USB NES gamepad. There was just something a little magical about that combination.<br />
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Hopefully the success of this game leads to similar updating to classic games in the future. Maybe a Chip n' Dale's Rescue Rangers Remastered is in the future? We can only hope!Tufif de' Sikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01590776137769818932noreply@blogger.com0