RENT

I picked up Generator Rex: Agent of Providence with the thought that despite it being for the 10-12 year old set, my five year old son might find it entertaining. I should caveat the rest of this review with the fact that we do not watch the show and had never heard of the series, but I am always up for a new game.

If you, like me, were unaware of the cartoon, here is the general idea: Nanites have infected everything and everyone on the planet, and they randomly mutate creatures. Some creatures manage to deal with the mutations and use them (such as Rex), but most go insane and become monsters. Rex can control his mutations and use them to neutralize the monsters and their mutations. He works for an organization called Providence, and they fight against the E.V.O.s (Exponentially Variegated Organisms). The main enemy is a bad guy named Van Kleiss.

The game is a basic hack and slash with a side scroll. You learn how to use all kinds of different mutations for different monsters and scenarios, such as jumping high or smashing through barriers. As you progress through the levels, you unlock new mutations you can use. When you kill monsters or break objects, you collect nanites that you can use to upgrade your weapons. Most level are a series of mobs followed one after another with an ending boss. There were two levels that did not follow that format: one was a motorcycle ride with a monkey E.V.O. and another that involved a ride on rock tablets through a tunnel while being chased by a huge boulder.

And that is when I quit the game. First, a boulder chasing you? Maybe a 10-12 year old would not understand why I found that irritating, but I am old enough to consider it a bit of a rip off. Second, the level was nigh unplayable for me. It involved a lot of timed jumps, and these are not my strong suit. I kept dying, and my frustration level kept going up. My husband took about five attempts to get through the FIRST section, but neither of us managed to get through the next one. Third, after an initial sense of awe and wonder, my five year old grew quickly bored with the game. He likes jumping and racing, so it had little to no appeal to him (although he did like me killing the monsters and perhaps I should rethink what a good idea this was). He would beg me to play, but he would wander off more quickly each time. Fourth, maybe it was just the DS controls, but I found myself relying on only one or two different weapons (I do not think I even unlocked them all) because switching back and forth required not only the buttons but the stylus and touchscreen. It was overly complicated for what should have been a fun, simple game.

Publisher:

Rent

I’ve played the Cooking Mama games off and on casually since they’ve come out. They’re fun games to play, and I was interested to see what they were going to bring to the table with Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic for the Nintendo 3DS.

Cooking Mama 4 is very much like the previous games in which you are cooking recipes that start off in varying difficulties, from something easy like a grilled cheese to more complex recipies. Some can for sure be tricky and I know I had to repeat a couple just to get the gold rating.

Game mechanic wise, not much has changed. If you’ve played any of the previous games before, you will be able to grasp the controls quite easily. Not to mention since the controls are pretty easy in general, newcomers to the game will be able to get the hang of it after the first few dishes. I also really enjoyed the interface of the game. It felt smoother than from what I remembered, and it flowed quite well.

The other thing that I enjoyed was having the extra mini games. Those were fun diversions from playing the main cooking challenges, and I enjoyed unlocking more things that would update the look of mama and even your kitchen that you cook in! The game itself is extensive for a casual game, and it’s definitely something I’ve enjoyed on my morning commutes to work.

One gripe I do have is that I don’t feel that there’s much need for the 3D aspect of the game. It’s not used when cooking as that requires the use of the touch screen, and for what is used for, it’s nothing that you really need to have on in order to fully appreciate the game. In the end this is good as playing with the 3D on for too long does give me a headache, but it also makes me wish that I could play it on my DSi XL (because grandma over here likes her big screens).

All in all while I did have fun, I wasn’t blown away by the game. Now, to be fair I haven’t been able to play the multiplayer where you can have a cook off with your friends. But I don’t think that feature really would necessairly have added much to the general feel of the game. The game is fun, it’s great for casual gamers, and it’s not a bad addition to the 3DS library. I think that this game is definitely something that would be good for a younger generation than it is for someone like myself.

Nintendo has usually had a relatively fun list of games coming out around the holidays and the Gaming Angels are here to help recommend some games to you for that Nintendo fan in your life.

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland (E 10+) At a recent event, I was able to play Kirby’s Return to Dreamland. First of all who doesn’t love Kirby? Second, this platformer was created for families to play together. Players can easily join in or leave a game without interrupting play. Best part is no fighting over one player grabbing all the items because the team has one set score for all the items. Kirby’s Return to Dreamland encourages team work. ~ Trina

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword E10+) Five years ago, gamers were given The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess just in time for the Holidays. Nintendo has finally given us the next installment in their iconic series, and it’s far more than just a GameCube port as well. Most of us have many a fond memory of playing Zelda games we were gifted for the Holidays ranging back to our childhoods, and this game will certainly be another gem to add to our collections. ~ Vanessa

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (E for Everyone) By now, the ‘Legend of Zelda’ formula is familiar. Heck, this game itself is probably familiar, given that this is a rerelease of a Nintendo 64 title (remember those days?). This game alone sold me on the 3DS’ 3D capabilities. It looks beautiful, and it’s great to have such an adventure available right in my pocket. ~ Tiffany

Professor Layton and the Last Specter (E for Everyone) Who knew that a game based on solving puzzles and riddles could not only be so much fun, but also revolve around an incredibly intricate story? That’s exactly what the Professor Layton franchise has done for the last three installments, and fans should be just as eager to get their hands on the most recent game. Even if you’ve never played a Professor Layton game before, all you need is a lukewarm affinity toward solving puzzles and a pension for mysteries to get wrapped up in the Professor’s latest adventure. ~ Keri

Wappy (E10+) The Wappy is just about the cutest thing ever. This virtual puppy comes to life in a robot form that interacts with you. Think Tamagotchi on a whole different level. This provides everyone with the fun of owning a puppy without the cleanup. ~ Trina

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D (E for Everyone) I’ve been missing a good rhythm game in my DS since Elite Beat Agents’ release what feels like forever ago. Gabrielle’s a great follow-up with the perfect “girly” touch. Look, I like dressing up my game characters, what else can I say? ~ Tiffany

Rating:

Pass

I’ve never been one to like flying sims, but I was willing to check out Nintendo’s Pilot Wings Resort for the 3DS, purely for the 3D gimmick aspect. I was able to briefly play it at a previous 3DS event so I was looking forward to playing through some of the levels more. And well, it’s definitely another “[Insert name here] Resort” game from Nintendo.

The game itself actually takes place on the same island (or something pretty close to) the island that the Wii Sports Resort title is on. The graphics are about the same and use Mii’s as the characters. The only difference is that you can play in 3D, which I will say is gimmicky but still awesome that I don’t have to wear glasses on my glasses to experience.

There is a good tutorial stage to get you familiarized with each type of aircraft (plane, glider and jetpack), and how the various courses go. I have to say that having an analog stick on the 3DS really helps with the control factor in flight modes since I don’t have to worry about the D-pad. After you play through the tutorial the game goes into more challenges and you can play through them to earn high scores and ribbons. As expected, newer challenges are unlocked as you complete others. Going through the stages also unlocks some bonuses for the free-flight mode where you can explore WuHu island. Increased time for free flight is great as exploring the island is kind of cool from an areal aspect.

But all in all I got extremely bored with this game. There really isn’t much to it and I honestly just didn’t find the will to finish up more of the game as I went on. It’s a super casual game and it does look good in 3D, but that’s about all it has to it. I got an hour or two of gameplay in before I just stopped out of boredom, but flight sim fans, or more casual players may enjoy it. It just worries me that Nintendo may put out more things like this that are casual shovelware games that are done to show off the gimmic with the system.

Now this isn’t to say that the game is a “bad” game. It’s well made, the controls are great, and it has the potential to give some amusement for awhile. The graphics are good and even look great in 3D. But is it worth retail price? Not at all. I do think that kids would have more fun with this game as opposed to adults. It involves the Miis, and they can play with friends, so the competition will be fun for them. In general it works for a starter, or first, game for a younger kid. But if you’re thrifty like me I would hold off on purchasing this game until it hits the bargain bin.

A big part of the Sega booth at E3 this year was dedicated to everyone’s favorite speedy little blue hedgehog and his 20th anniversary. While there, I got to take a hands-on look at 2 new additions to the Sonic lineup that will be coming soon.

The first title I got to take a look at was Sonic Generations, the latest in a classic Sonic style platformer for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo 3DS. I chose to try out the 3DS version and got to play through 2 levels in the new game. Generations is truly a “best of” collection of all of the most popular levels from the Sonic games throughout the years. You can choose to play as classic or modern Sonic, each with their own unique levels and styles of play. Even though the game has a huge nostalgia factor, someone like myself who is new to the franchise should be able to pick it up, hop in and feel comfortable playing. And despite being truly woefully bad at platformers, I was able to do just that. The use of 3D on the 3DS was a nice touch in a Sonic game, as you could loop in and out of the foreground and feel really immersed in the level’s environment. It wasn’t overstated or overused, rather, it was just a nice touch. There are also exclusive levels available depending on which console you decide to pick up the game. Even levels that are somewhat similar on all platforms, Green Hills for example, have a different feel on the 3DS. The modern Sonic levels include a super speed boost not available in the classic levels. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions take full advantage of the HD capabilities with what looks to be beautiful environments and effects. Sonic Generations should be available this holiday season.

The second Sonic game I got to try out was Sonic Sega Allstars Racing for iOS. This mobile version of the popular Mario Kart style racing game is a great adaption for the device. It offers a whole stable of characters and cars as well as 12 different racetracks. Multiplayer racing is available via Bluetooth for local play or WiFi and Game Center for online play. I got to try it out on both an iPod and an iPad and I much preferred handling on the iPod/iPhone. It uses the motion control to steer your car by tilting the device which can be a little tricky at first. I found the subtle motions were much easier on the smaller device and I did a lot less crashing into walls. The graphics are bright, colorful and look really nice on the device. The tracks have a wide variety of looks from outdoors, snow or a lively cityscape. If you are looking for a great arcade style racer for your iOS device I recommend picking up Sonic Sega Allstars Racing for only $4.99 when it releases later this month in the App store.

This E3 we didn’t have an appointment with Natsume, but I had some extra time and I could not resist the cute emanating from their booth. This year Natsume is featuring Harvest Moon DS: The tale of two Towns, Factory: Tides of Destiny, Reel Fishing 3D: Paradise, Harvest Moon Frantic Farming and the game I tried out, Gabrielle’s Ghostly groove 3D.

Gabrielle seems to have sneezed her soul right out of her body. In order to get help she has to go to Monsterville and scare up power to get back in her body.

The game mechanices are rhythm-based game mechanics. Much like Elite Beat Agents, the player taps a circle to match when the arrows meet up on the top screen. The arrows are coordinated with the music which is difficult to hear on the E3 floor, so I had to do it visually. When the player finishes songs there are also unlockables for outfits and various items. There are over 30 stages, but in the demo I played two.

The game graphics are adorable. It doesn’t hurt that Gabrielle is a cute, Lolita goth and actually meets up with cute monsters. The way they dance is cute and I found myself wanting to watch their dance moves, but that is difficult while playing. Another difficulty was keeping a straight view of the 3DS in order to play. I found that I would move the system a bit or move my head slightly and when the 3DS wasn’t straight-on the entire game blurred. This happened often because the arrows you are looking for are not always center on the screen. You have to be watching the entire screen to catch them. This could be because I haven’t had much hands on experience with the 3DS, but it became annoying quickly.

If playing on the 3DS does not bother you, then you should have an easier time then I did. The game is adorable and fun. I just wonder if I could get past the difficulty I had in playing it with 3D turned on.

Rating:

BUY

Most of the time I’m playing console games or taking on some raids in WoW, but then there are times I just curl up with my DS to play more casual games. In this case it was curling up with my new 3DS and playing Nintendogs (and Cats). I went into playing it with the thought that I could play for an hour or so and get what I needed for the review, however it’s now been a week and I’m saving up so I can get a cute kitten. I’ve also got a friend to get the game just based on talking about the game.

“But you’re just taking care of a virtual pet. What’s so great about that?” Maybe it’s the fact that I was part of the Tamagochi craze back when I was a kid. I love taking care of that little creature and would sneak it in to school even though they had been banned (hey my friends were doing the same). But I guess I’ve grown up liking to take care of virtual pets so this game is perfect.

The first thing I noticed was how improved the graphics were from the first Nintendogs. The puppies look a lot more realistic, and the kittens have great models as well. I started off with a little Shiba puppy who I named Ein. I learned how to feed and give him water, take him for walks and even wash and teach him tricks. The trick learning seems to go smoother, however there is still a delay and some difficulty regarding the verbal commands.

Going for walks is fun. Your puppy can meet more friends, as well as go to cafés, the gym or the park. Shops with rare items also pop up from time to time. There are some great features though that go with the 3DS system. Miis are now integrated into the game, so any other people you meet on walks are in Mii form. You also get to see your Mii from time to time as well. The other great feature is the walking system that uses the built in pedometer to track your steps. This allows you to close the DS when it’s on to and you can take it with you when you’re walking around. It will also scan for Streetpass hits. At the end, if you’ve taken a nice long walk your puppy will be very happy with you and you get a present which can be anything from a toy to food or treats.

Anyone who you meet via the Streetpass, who also is playing Nintendogs and Cats will show up in your game and you will be notified upon resuming the game that you met some new people while on your walk. Their Miis and respective pets will also stay in your game so you can go to the park or café with them so your puppies (and presumably kitties) can spend time with each other.

Now for the 3D aspect: for the most part I just played the game with the 3D turned off. Playing in your house, practicing with the Frisbee or walking just doesn’t need the 3D, though it does look cool. The one aspect that was fun was doing the training test with the AR cards. When entering this mode you need to place the ? block card on the table and point the outward facing cameras at it. Your pet will then appear on the card and you have to go through a series of tricks to get the highest score possible. This was the only part of the game I felt was great with the 3D.

Nintendogs and Cats is a great game for kids. They can interact with their friends pets, go on walks and train and play with them. Plus the fact that the 3D isn’t really needed for the majority of the game means that parents can get this for their kids and allow them to play on the 3DS with the 3D disabled with no loss to the game quality itself. It’s a great starter game for kids and I highly recommend it! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a kitten to go adopt.

Game provided by Nintendo and does not affect the outcome of this review

Rating:

BUY

Admittedly I missed the last Pokémon game release, but I’ve turned into a fan of the Pokémon series of games since I played Crystal. I was excited for some of the new features that Black and White would have to offer, like the new battle features and the seasonal cycle. So you bet I was stoked when I got Pokémon White.

The game starts off like most Pokémon games where you’re told about the world and how much people love their Pokémon and you can choose between three to start with. Personally I chose the fire pig, and thanks to some inspiration from a good friend, named him Baconator. The first thing I noticed was that it seemed like Pokémon leveled up quicker. I usually have to run around a lot to level up some Pokémon before taking on some of the gym leaders but it was no problem in this game. The other thing to notice are the graphics, not much has changed drastically, however you can tell that there is an improvement, especially when you move to the battle screen.

I have to say I really enjoy the updated battles. Doing two and three Pokémon battles is really fun. And even though it may be something trivial I like how when you leave the game alone, the camera will zoom in and out on the Pokémon in the battle. It makes for something interesting while you may be looking up something specific regarding a certain type of Pokémon. The environments and effects seemed to also improve slightly, especially when you cross the bridge into the first major city. Game Freak really did a great job with creating the environments in White.

The other feature of the game that I loved was the online multiplayer play. I got to play around with this a lot since I was lucky enough to get White right before PAX East in Boston this year. So I made sure to spend some quality time with a friend in the handheld area playing some battles against him but mostly visiting other people’s worlds to get some power-ups and improve my rating. That is when I could connect. But all wifi issues were most likely due to the overload because of the convention. I’d love to be able to play this again when I’m around a large group of gamers again! Plus it’s made me bug my friends for their friend codes.

The one thing I will say I wasn’t impressed with was the monster designs. There are one or two designs I dig, but for the most part the designs are dumb or lackluster. Not to mention there’s several different type of Pokémon that aren’t even animal related! For example, a trash bag/pile of trash is a new Pokémon. So are a couple of gears. And some kind of mushroom thing that has Pokémon ball designs all over it. Since Pokémon designs are what initially drew me to the games, to see such boring and even bad designs makes me a bit upset. And I’m not the only one. Topless Robot ran a piece called “The 12 Ugliest/Stupidest/Crappiest New Pokémon,” which is a great read and illustrates some of the more memorable ones that I mentioned above.

I don't know what I am!

The other issue I had with the games is that there isn’t much different from the two games to begin with. Just about all of the Pokémon are in both games except for one or two to my knowledge. Other than that the other difference is the environment itself. Fellow Gaming Angels writer Lindsey is currently playing Black and had this to tell me: “I do love the faster battle game play, but I hate the new Pokémon that they created.  I think they were childish and unimaginative.  I just feel that they didn’t really think to creatively when generating the new creatures.”

All in all the game is solid. Game Freak did an overall good job this time, but the lack of decent new Pokémon has made me wonder how much longer the series will keep grinding out new ones. Or at least versions that are quality. So if you’re looking for the latest Pokémon to catch, I recommend picking up the game. If you’re not sure, it doesn’t hurt to wait for a price drop or for an Amazon gold box special price.

Game provided by Nintendo and does not affect the outcome of this review

ESRB: E 10+
Genre: RPG
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: November 29, 2010

BUY

Golden Sun is a good example of a classic RPG that will probably be well-liked by tweens or older girls who enjoy the JRPG genre. College ladies may remember playing earlier versions of the game back on the Game Boy. The game is engrossing and heavy on the story. There is a lot of reading to fill in backstory, or while the characters talk. There is plenty of lore, characters and plot to get absorbed in. The first twenty minutes of the game was all text dialog. Even many hours into the game you will still get lots of these story screens. If you don’t like to spend a lot of time reading in games, then you might not want to bother with this one. If you have some patience for story and you like puzzles and dungeons then this game is unexpectedly good.  Also, the music soundtrack was composed by Japanese RPG music composer Motoi Sakuraba.

This a very well done and well thought out RPG. The graphics are very well done, there’s a varied color palette and each area has a little something different to dress it up. Throughout, there are good lighting or water effects. Camelot made use of the small spaces in a creative fashion and managed to save space on the cartridge while still giving you a couple twinkles of eye candy here and there, including the magical spells that go off with several types of sparkly lights, colors and bubblies.

Even though there was plenty of story to tap through, most of it was lost on me. What I understood is that the game starts out with a party of magic users with Psynergy. Those are the magic powers you can use in battle. Djinn are magical summoned creatures at your disposal. Once you have several Djinn summoned at the same time, an artsy display of dragon gods make all the painstaking hours of the game worth it. It does give a very pretty pay off for all your patience.  Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is of course, turn-based play. Each of your party members pick an enemy to attack. The Psynergy powers are also used to solve puzzles and explore new areas. There are over eighty of the Djinn in the game each one having a different appearance.

Another big problem the game is the emote engine. You can sort of see where the developers thought it would be a good idea to break up the monotony of all the text with some branching dialog. But, in practice it isn’t as good. The characters end up sounding co-dependent; no matter what your character says, he is rebuffed by the rest of the team. He is always being criticized. The emotes might have lost something in translation. the whole emote process takes a long time, while you wait for animations and the reactions while don’t really add much to the story.

If you enjoy a good long DS game to keep you company on several winter nights, then this one is sure to keep you very busy. It has all the elements that make a JRPG what you would expect it to be. Since it will take you a very long time to finish it you might want to go ahead and buy it.

Review copy provided by the publisher and does not affect the outcome of this review.

RENT

First thing the game says is something about an Eclipse.  As of writing this, we just had the lunar eclipse. Was that the Vampire Moon? OMG. By coincidence, I’ve managed to creep myself out with a DS game. No, only kidding.

It’s been a while since I’ve played a DS game. I pick the coral pink fat DS to play on. Get the stylus, noting the different and stiffer feel of the small pre iPhone touch pad technology and begin on this point and click, hunt and seek puzzler from City Interactive. It feels similar to a Nancy Drew type games, which is a compliment.  Instead, of a red-headed young detective though, the main character in Vampire Moon, Emily, is a reporter. Emily has been sent to Transylvania on the tail of a story.

As I play, the character dialog rolls out on the top screen and you tap objects on the second screen below. (It feels a bit retro typing about a DS game on the iPad, it’s like the iPad is talking about her Grandma.)  Vampire Moon the Mystery of the Hidden Sun has a very gothic feel to it; there are gargoyles and bats in the game, the menus and the story are told in a bookish format with a cherry sienna hue, it’s a palette of old book leather. The reading material writes out in the book for you.  The game’s storyline is pretty simple and seems to be geared towards teens. I also caught a few spelling errors on items in the game, like a puzzle lists “Tub” when what you are actually looking for is a “Tube” of paint.

As the story in Vampire Moon is explained, you are asked to find various items. You may need an old knight’s shield to cover a hole in a wooden bridge to be able to get across. Or you could need a hammer to complete a task.  Playing the game consists mainly of seek-and-find puzzles. The spooky environments have many objects embedded in them for you to find. Some of the puzzles are timed events and finding gems and jewels adds to your score. Tapping on the wrong items too many times will deduct from your score on each puzzle.  When you begin the game, some hints are provided and throughout the game, you can earn more hints to help you search during especially tricky puzzles.

The puzzles range from fairly easy to exasperating; and it depends on how good your imagination and seek-and-find skills are. The game has about twenty five levels, and they do feel somewhat repetitive, but if you are the type of person that needs to find everything in a puzzle, then you’re probably going to like this game. This game doesn’t offer anything new, it does what is expected of it well enough. But, it lacks excitement and any genuine feeling of horror. The Vampire aspect of it isn’t very developed and it mainly deals with legends rather than flesh and cold-blooded vampires like the popular Edward Cullen.

Overall, this is a tame game that makes a for a decent time waster. It can draw you into the game pretty easily because it can be relaxing, unless you get stuck on one of the puzzles. It doesn’t seem like it’s harsh or violent at all and young teens would probably enjoy it.

A review copy of Vampire Moon was provided by the publisher and does not affect the outcome of this review.