Refreshing, Spirited, Enticing and a Heck of a Lot of Fun.
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| Pokémon Y From Nintendo |
Pokémon X and Y are brilliant entries in the long running franchise, and they also mark the series debut on the Nintendo 3DS.
Welcome to the world of Kalos-- beautiful sprays of warm, bright colors are mixed with small and large graphical touches that spruce up the familiar and introduce a sense of joy that I have not garnered from a Pokémon entry in years. Yes, Black and White and their sequels, Black 2 and White 2, were great games in their own right, but it is the leap forward in polish afforded by the 3DS and the simultaneous streamlining of the experience that pushes X and Y just beyond the reach of their predecessors, once removed from nostalgic goggles, that is.
You are a Pokémon trainer. You set off at a young age to challenge other trainers, capture Pokémon and become the champion of your regions Pokémon League. The game is expansive, sporting main city hubs and routes to explore--with Lumiose City being quite distinguished and familiar, not unlike the very grand and splayed Nimbasa City of Black and White. X and Y introduce Horde battles, which pit your Pokémon against a select group of congregated wild Pokémon of up-to five VS one. Then there is the fact that you are now given two starter Pokémon, yes, two. This sense of reward continues as these main entries are the first to introduce mega stones; These unique items offer in-battle evolutions that grant specific Pokémon, wielding specific stones, incredible new evolutions with new typing/new abilities and boosted stats that set them way apart from their peers. Mega stones can feel overpowered to an extent, but they never felt too out of step with a felicity permeating the game. New Pokémon--over 60, Sky Battles, cafe battles, berry field breeding and more. The dazzling, unraveling thread of splendor is at a constant high-octane throughout the experience of the game.
Speaking of the experience, it is clear that Game Freak, Inc.--developers of the main-entry Pokémon games (such as X and Y or Heart Gold and Soul Silver )--
and the long-time series director, Junichi Masuda, have taken the best of the series and refined it into a substance that is more palatable. How? you may ask. Well, from the very beginning the game gets you straight into the experience with little barriers. The player starts the game by picking their gender as usual, but, also, in a very welcome change to the formula--however slight--you can now select from up-to three character skin tones. This new wrinkle, if you will, to the customization formula is coupled with the ability to dress your avatar in a number of bite-sized fashion ensembles and articles of choice. The meat of the experience, the game that many fans have come to enjoy, is as it always has been--a rock-paper-scissors, turn-based, strategic collect-a-thon. What's more engaging, enjoyable, and inviting about the meat of the matter is the quicker pacing to the turn-based battles; the absolutely exquisitely rendered Pokémon character models (Yes, they are that good-- eye-candy that endures the entire journey and continuously brings a smile to my face whenever I revisit the game) and the additional immersive factor that is Pokémon-Amie. In Pokémon-Amie, the player is allowed to pet and play with their party of Pocket Monsters, raising their affection levels--which can lead to unexpected effects, among other things--and increasing the bond between Pokémon and trainer; this bond actually has in-game benefits, with enough care you can make your Pokémon fight more effectively in battle--they withstand blows that would normally knock them out, and they have an increased chance of making critical hits, just as a few examples.
Hi all: Just thought that I would endow upon you some of my current thoughts on Shin Megami Tensei IV.
As I dr
aw closer to a review of Shin Megami Tensei IV, I would like
to reflect on my experiences. The game has a mysterious, foreboding
atmosphere that is heightened by its excellent sound work and static
artwork backdrops. The pacing, so far, varies-- pending on my interest in
challenge quests, which comprise the ancillary objectives within the game.
One does not have to look far to get a sense of thrill and chill in the
city of Tokyo. Tokyo is presented as a land of dread and demon
fermentation. But, I would be remiss to divulge any more on the setting that I have
learned in the game thus far. I believe the experience is shaping into
one of diligence. In so far as you must be willing to give your
attention to the nuances of the press-turn battle system. Striking enemy
weaknesses and enemies targeting your own, has never been more
engaging. This allows even the most mundane of demon encounters to
provide there share of entertainment and shiver.
A Wild Wild World
Animal Crossing: New Leaf, for the Nintendo 3DS, is a splash of life Sim for those who just want to relax. The game marks another entry in the long running, laid-back series.
This particular entry in the series introduces some fresh streamlining--to a point--and can be addictive. The basics of the game are the creation and customization of your, well--I guess, human avatar and the town in which they will inhabit. New to the series is the ability to run for office, albeit without competition or the need for a campaign.
And the mayor is...!
The start to your adventure in Animal Crossing is with a mix up that ends with you taking over as Mayor--for the better or for the worst. The job comes with a few perks and a few, and a few detraction's.
The perks include the aforementioned ability to customize the town beyond just naming it, and a true sense of responsibility for your constituents in the town--responsibility justified by your new office of public service. As the mayor of your town you must decide what town ordinance (reminiscent of a town policy/law that is itself representative of choosing a style for your town that just so happens to match your own play style) to establish; choosing from Bell Boom, to beautiful town. Where Bell Boom reverses the good fortunes of your in-game economy, meaning items in your town sell for more bells(in-game currency), but also cost more. Also as mayor you must decide on the where, when and how to place, and orient buildings/projects/landmarks throughout the town and Main-street.The big detracting downsides of your mayoral duties include; having to pay for EVERYTHING, while some of the projects, which are often requested by the towns folk, can be supplemented with public(villagers will pitch in a penny or two) funds, if you have any intention of getting things done in this life-time, then you will need to pitch in the vast majority of the funds/resources needed for public project developments. Hows that for public service?
The 3DS has hit it's stride and it's a great place to jump on board.
The Nintendo 3DS is in a boom and its momentum seems unstoppable. I originally picked up a 3DS in 2011, after it went on sale, and I have to say that it was definitely worth the investment. I spent many an hour re-visiting old DS classics like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, Radient Historia and 9Hours 9Persons 9Doors. Then the flood of 3DS titles arrived in a tsunami of variety; Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Resident Evil: Revelations, Kid Icarus: Uprising and that's just to list a "few". Need less to say there has been no shortage of games to choose from, when it comes to 3DS games. The system itself is quite sturdy. It is available in both its original 3.5 inch screen variant( which comes in a variety of colors including; Cosmo black, Aqua blue, Red and purple variations) and the heavily marketed 90 percent larger screen variant the 3DS XL, which comes in at around 4.8 inches. The XL comes in fewer color variations as of this post including red, blue and more recently pink/white.
