It is now time for the Madden 2012 review! As I hinted in my Madden 2010 review, Madden 2012 definitely improves and brings things closer to the good ole GC era. I don’t own Madden 2011 yet so I do not know if it’s a bridge that started the uphill battle, but once I buy that game, you can expect a review for it as well.

For once, let’s just skip to the main part of the gameplay right away. Immediately you can see a huge difference in the game. The gameplay is a lot quicker and everything seems to flow a lot better. The controls can still be a little delicate; you must move in a straight line and be careful not to turn the joy stick or your character will start to stutter and slow down. That being said, there are ways to quickly turn and dodge defenders, but it’s a learning process. I’ll take the speed and precision over the slowness that Madden 2010 presented any day!

The passing game is also improved and deep balls are a little easier to command. They still aren’t exceptionally easy, but they’ll do. It’s always a risk since the defender may decide to jump up and grab an easy pick, but the risk is part of the fun right? I found it easiest to throw down the middle to the tight end, as he was usually open and it’s hard to mess up such an easy play. There are fewer things that can go wrong in this case.

The running game is definitely more enjoyable as well. It can still be risky to use outside pitches, but they’re more fun to use now that the running back is fast again. Quarterback scrambles are also fun and if you play your cards right, you’ll net some pretty large gains. The way I see it, a running play usually won’t get you more than a few yards, but it’s still worth it for that rare occurrence where you break free for 20+ yards. It’s all about barreling into the defensive line until they give way. You can think of it as an endurance battle!

Kicking the ball is still relatively easy, which is definitely a good thing. I am confident with kicks from 30 yards and under but once we hit 40, I will definitely have a tough time getting the goal. The animation is still pretty solid and while it’s not very different from Madden 2010, you can still tell that the animation is better in this game.

I may as well dedicate a few lines to the music. I’ve never played a sports game where I thought that the music was incredible and this one is no exception. While playing the game, you won’t even care what the music is. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget that there is music playing at all. I wouldn’t say that the music is awful, but it is sub par. As I mentioned earlier, this is the case with just about every sports game so I’ve come to expect it.

There are still other modes to play, like making your own character in Superstar mode. I personally don’t really use them as Franchise Mode is the only one that I really care about. I hope that they add minicamp mode again someday, perhaps in Madden 2013. It’s the only other mode that I would just play around with for a long time. Franchise mode is great but some things can take a while though, thanks to the long loading times if you want to skip the Preseason. Still, you can’t go wrong with Franchise mode, as it’s a great way to feel like you’re really in the NFL. Now if only they could figure out how to do this with PSN, a whole league would be epic. Something like Fantasy Football, but with actual games. It would be tough to set up, but also pretty awesome.

I definitely recommend getting this game since it’s the best next gen Madden game that I’ve played so far. I can safely say that Madden 2009 and 2010 don’t hold a candle to this one. This is a great way to get into the sport and also a way to have fun during Football season. Play as your favorite team and enter the new season. The gameplay is exciting as always and thanks to Franchise mode, there is a lot to do. Even without Franchise mode, you could find yourself playing this game for dozens and dozens of hours to come.

Overall 8/10

I have always been a fan of the Madden series. It’s true that the games don’t seem to change very much and you could buy a Madden from 2004 and have an even better experience than if you went and bought Madden 25. The reason is not only was Madden 2004 the best Madden game of them all, but it essentially did everything right. A lot of the “improvements” that have been made have actually been bad for the series. This review is of Madden 2010, so I’ll be focusing on that year.

When launching the game, you’ve got several options. Franchise mode and many others, but that’s the only one that you need to care about. Franchise mode is what I’ve grown up with and it’s the best thing to play. I do miss the fact that we don’t have a minicamp mode anymore. You can play them in franchise mode, but what about checking them out for fun? That was one area where Madden 2010 took a turn for the worst, but let’s talk about the critical difference.

Turning the game on and paying an ordinary match is what Madden is all about. Unfortunately, the actual gameplay isn’t quite as fun as it used to be. It’s still really fun and I could play it for hours, but there are several factors that hurt it. One of these is the fact that the gameplay is a lot slower. I suppose that you could take this to be more “realistic” but it just doesn’t work. Playing on a virtual field is much different than on a normal field for many reasons. One is the fact that the field itself feels a lot smaller. Odds are that if you’re sacked in the game, you’ll lose around 10 yard because of how short the field is. Trying to run an outside route is risky because if they catch you, you’ll end up losing a whole bunch of yards.

They’ve “refined” the passing game so that your throw greatly depends on how you angle the control stick. This is okay since Madden 2004 did this as well, but Madden 2010 overdoes it. If you hold up and throw the ball, you’ll often overthrow your receiver and if you’ve got the wrong direction on the controller, you’ll probably be throwing a pick six. Making the controls more sensitive isn’t a bad thing in itself, but it takes some of the fun out of the passing game. I loved throwing a lot of deep balls and seeing what would happen.

The running game also seems to be a lot more difficult than in previous games. Because of the reduced speed of the gameplay, breaking into a sprint may not be enough to get our of the backfield. If a defender punches through the defenses, you won’t have the speed to evade him. This game seems to emphasize running between the tackles as opposed to taking outside pitches, which is too bad since that’s how I typically like my running game.

All the same, these changes may not be my favorite, but the gameplay is still very fun overall. Maybe the running game is more challenging, but that will just make a long run more satisfying right? For passing plays, it’s still easy enough to throw a short pass to your tight end or a screen pass to the running back. I may just have to lighten up on my Hail Mary type throws.

The animation is definitely solid and while we aren’t in the perfect Gamecube era anymore, the PS3 is the next best thing in terms of graphics. Yep, after the Gamecube, I believe that the PS3 has the greatest graphics from all of the consoles so far. PS4 has a shot at taking it down, but we’ll see if it can take down the Gamecube. The tackles have more variety in Madden 2010 than in Madden 2004, but the sacks aren’t as impacting. You could practically feel the charge when you sacked an opposing quarterback in Madden 2004. It was just so thrilling to see! Likewise with interceptions, but they don’t feel as exciting in Madden 2010. I’m not sure why that is, the sound effects may be lower or something. Either way, it’s minor and I’m sure that you can adjust something like that in the options menu.

Let’s talk about one major positive where I feel that the game may have improved. That would be in the kicking area. Kicking a long range field goal was virtually impossible in Madden 2004 because you could never really defy the wind currents. Your kick would go off target towards the wind or against it, but it was hard to actually get the field goal. In Madden 2010, it’s not quite as difficult and while kicking a 60+ could still be unheard of, 30-35 yards and under are a lot simpler.

Overall, the game may have made the gameplay a little less enjoyable by taking away the speed factor, but it’s still a very fun game. If you had not played the older games, then you wouldn’t even notice. The fact that kicking a field goal is now an easy task is definitely a plus as well. The animation is solid and the games are slowly adding more and more features that make it like a real football game. Some things may just slow down the flow of the game, but if you’re in the middle of Franchise mode, you’ll probably be glad to see how the other teams are doing. This game and 2009 are my least favorite Madden games that I’ve really gotten to play, but things take a turn for the better once we hit Madden 2012. I shall be reviewing that game shortly so keep an eye out for it! I’ve already said it several times, but I’ll say it one last time to make sure that the message lasts. While the review may have pointed out most of the negatives in Madden 2010, it’s still a great game. The gameplay is really fun and never gets tiring. If I wasn’t so busy with other games, I could see myself playing it for many hours. There is a ton of replay value and franchise mode could theoretically last you years if you play season after season after season. I definitely recommend getting this game if you want a fun football experience, but if you want the ultimate NFL experience, make sure that you buy Madden 2004.

Overall 7/10

Street Fighter is a very popular fighting game series that has earned quite a large fan base over the years. Some would argue that the games even top the Mario games, but that’s a debate for another time. I have played several Street Fighter games in the past, but this is the first mainstream one that I have owned. Was it spectacular?

The intro is pretty good and we’ve definitely got a lot of good animation going. The intros for each character’s arcade mode is pretty good as well. It feels like a nice anime episode that you may have caught on TV. The character’s also get their own endings although Ryu’s may seem a little depressing for some.

The gameplay is definitely the main reason that people have come to play the game. (Along with the nice multiplayer options) The gameplay is pretty solid and I can see why the game has so many fans. Mastering all of the combos can definitely take a while and even then, it’s hard to stay consistent. One wrong turn on the control stick and you’ll be using a completely different attack. I must say that I love the challenge! Of course, good ole button mashing will still take you pretty far. I’ve nearly won 50 online battles using this technique and also classic mind games. (Setting someone up with a Hadoken and then using an Uppercut!) The best part is that luck isn’t a factor in this game. (Very minimally at most) If you lose, you just have to accept the fact that you never stood a chance.

There is also a Challenge Mode in the game, but I wouldn’t say that it’s my favorite. I don’t really like the way that they went about creating it. There are only 100 challenges, but since each challenge is several rounds long, it’ll take you a very long time. I did a few challenges myself, but I don’t really have the time to finish them all at the moment.

The online battles can definitely be fun. You can make a match or join one. They even have tournaments where you can really test your skills! They keep track of your online records, but you don’t get to see your opponent’s while you’re battling. I think that I would have liked that option, but it doesn’t matter very much. The player data that they keep for you in the main menu is pretty useful and while it could be a little more in depth, (Like how much Ultra combos you’ve used) it is good enough. Play time is always the most important thing anyway.

The graphics are pretty good. I wouldn’t call them groundbreaking or anything, but they suffice. While they can’t hold a candle to other PS3 games like Soul Calibur V and FFXIII-2, they are still solid. The trophies for this game aren’t insanely hard either, although you may still find yourself in a jam a few times. (All Medal types, 100 wins, Completing all challenges)

This is a game that I would definitely recommend. If you’re a fan of fighting games that require technique and don’t really have any gimmicks, then this is your game. The character selection is pretty good and there are over 15 characters. Around 20-30 I believe, but I decided not to go and check. One very solid thing about this game is the amount of replay value. There is plenty to do in this game and you could find yourself playing it for dozens of hours.

Overall 8/10

Soul Calibur has always been a cool fighting series. There is a lot more sword fighting than other fighting series. (Street Fighter, Tekken, Virtua Fighter, etc) I’ve always been a big fan of swords and I think that it’s a cooler way of fighting. Prior to this game, I’d only owned Soul Calibur II. (Link FTW!) Could this game continue the epic legacy?

Well, this game has an actual story mode, which was a great addition. The game is 20 chapters long which is like playing Arcade Mode three times. That’s not too bad and the game took me 2:30 to complete. Of course, that’s counting the good ole days of Vs. Mode and ranking up in Quick Battle mode. This game feels really modern which is something that I’ve always liked about PS3. The games always seem to be much higher tech than the other consoles. I mean, just look at MVC3, FFXIII-2, Bakugan, etc. They all have really vibrant colors and the gameplay is nice and fluid.

One interesting thing about Story Mode is that the game takes place several years after the last few games. So, you will recognize some of the characters, but they’re definitely older than we remember. The story mode follows Patroklos (The son of Sophita) as he journeys to find his sister, Pyrrha. He realizes that the man he was serving had just been using him to further his own ends. Patroklos escapes and finds the Soul Calibur. Unfortunately, his sister has turned into a Malfested. Can Patroklos save her, or will he have to make the “Ultimate Sacrifice!”. While you play as Patroklos for most of the levels, Pyrrha is also playable for a couple of battles. Her lines are pretty unique when she wins and you may not even be able to tell that she just won. Her Malfested form is pretty cool and helped the series to get to new heights in terms of power. Nightmare is also epic, even though he’s currently using a decently unlikable character. I dare say that Nightmare’s design grows more and more epic as the games go on.

Aside from the story mode, there are a lot of other modes to play. We have the Legendary Souls mode. It’s essentially a Boss Battle mode and while it may be pretty quick, these guys have a lot of skill. I wouldn’t underestimate them if I were you! We’ve also got the traditional Quick Battle mode which will help you with trophies and give a nice boost to your record.

Let’s not forget about the realm of online gaming! You can challenge others and improve your online record. Unlike Brawl, your record in Wifi is public and you won’t be forgetting that anytime soon. It adds more incentive to the battles and really makes you give it your all. Just watch out for Rage Quitters!

The Trophies for this game aren’t outrageous and you should be able to get most of them in no time. This game has a lot of replay value and the battle style never gets old. Not everyone will agree that it beats Tekken and SF, but I’d say that it does. There are so many ways to approach a fight and it’s fun using your tactics. Ezio is the guest character in this game, but I can’t say that he’s nearly as fun as Link was.

One thing that I should definitely mention is the Character Customizer. Soul Calibur is known to have the best one and I’ve seen people make characters that resemble Link, Mario, and even Bass EXE! I’m definitely going to give that a shot at some point and it sounds fun. You could almost buy the game for this reason alone. Think of it as a console version of Mugen! There’s no end to the possibilities and it’s definitely fun to play around with.

The character roster may not be huge in this game, but it’s big enough. 28 is a solid number and then we have the custom characters which increases it by a lot. The stage count is also impressive and I’m glad that they added a solid number of them. Having a good amount of stages is nearly as important as having a lot of characters so that we get variety.

Overall, this is a solid game that is definitely worth your money. The game brings a whole new level of excitement to the franchise and you will feel every blow. There is enough content here so that you can keep playing it for a long time. Getting to level 99 is a long, but not tedious journey. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series and I hope that it comes soon.

Overall 8/10

Final Fantasy is a legendary video game series and you can expect that every game in the franchise will turn out to be very good. From all of the (main, aka numbered) games that I’ve played, I can say that they’re all Great. Not just good or very good, but great! Final Fantasy XIII was a solid game and I dare say that it may even beat FFVII. Could the sequel be as good, since Lightning is no longer the main character?

Well, the game starts off with one of the greatest cutscenes of all time! I dare say that it Is the greatest cutscene of all time. Lightning and Caius have an epic (Quicktime) battle where buildings are being destroyed and Valhalla is on the brink of ruin. Not only was I thrilled to see a really cool villain, (The first major threat since Sephiroth) but the series was definitely getting more climatic. This was the perfect way to start off the game and you got to play as Lightning. who’s far superior to Serah

How did Lightning become a warrior of Valhalla? Well, since she made the ultimate sacrifice in FFXIII, it makes sense that Etro would want her to be the leader. Considering how powerful Caius and his army of monsters are, it’s good that Lightning is there. It’s also nice to see the monsters from the first game, take on Caius’s army. It was definitely intense. Interrupting this battle is Noel, who falls from the sky. After seeing how useless he was in the fight, Lightning just ditches him in a portal and proceeds to fight. Unfortunately, the plot continues from Noel’s point of view.

This Is a Final Fantasy game, so I’m not going to take the time to explain everything. The plot would take many paragraphs and it’s something that you should experience firsthand. That being said, I will talk a little more about the plot since that was all just the (Epic) protloge.

After her resurrection from FFXIII, Serah is now at a peaceful village with some minor characters from the first game. She’s now a teacher and she works to make the world a better place. Lightning’s Moogle can become a Bow and Arrow which Serah uses to defend herself. The world is pretty crazy and aliens appear out of nowhere. It would seem as if the world was ending! Noel comes to help, but he just adds more questions to the mix.

Serah and Noel must travel across time and space so that they can undo the evils that Caius has wrought. The time stream is very dilluted and things are happening that shouldn’t have. Along the way Hope decides to go to sleep for 500 years in a time travel test. I just figured that I’d throw that out there since the original FFXIII characters don’t really do anything in this game. They travel to many worlds and see futures as they may have been. They also get to travel to the past, the only weird part is…Lightning is gone! She’s not in the past anymore and she’s not in any of the futures. Caius must have done something!

The climax of the game is definitely awesome and is one of the best in Video Game History! Caius makes for a perfect villain and he basically embodies darkness itself. Plus, if he has truly destroyed Lightning…can anyone defeat him? Odin…..let’s just say that he went up against the wrong Bahamut!

The game only took around 21 hours, but it will feel like a lot more. That’s definitely in a good way and you experience a lot of plot. Throughout the game you will have traveled to dozens of planets and I recommend trying out the Chocobo races. There are many weapons to get and once you have the Ultima, you’ll be good to go. Choosing what battle formations to use can be a critical part of the game.

The gameplay is pretty good and basically plays out like the first game. This time you only have two humans at a time, but you get a monster to help out as well. The leveling up system is definitely intense and you can get up to level 600! I got Serah and Noel to around level 305 before I completed the game. Getting level ups isn’t very hard so you won’t need to worry about that. There are fragments to be found throughout the game and they do pay off. You can buy items for a lower cost and get more EXP per battle. Who wouldn’t want to get those fragments!?

There is a Lot to do in this game once you complete it, so you may find yourself playing this game for many hours once you have finished it. It sounds like a lot of fun and once I’ve finished most of the games in my backlog, I may go back to finish it all. The game’s a lot of fun and the gameplay never gets old, so why not right?

The music in this game is also very good. The theme against the minions is a cool rock song for some of the battles and the climax is filled with a lot of good songs. The last song is pretty great because it’s very emotional and fits the ending. The ending is also a spectacular ending and one that should be put in the record books. Not only does one of the two main heroes die, but there’s an after credits scene. Let’s just say that one of the characters didn’t have a change of heart!

I’m psyched for the sequel because there’s a lot of potential. The remaining hero seems to have turned into a villain and it may be time for Lightning to become the hero once again. The next game is called “Lightning Returns” after all! Serah and Noel were decent heroes, but I am definitely ready for a new lead. Aside from Lightning, Noel, and Caius, the rest of the cast wasn’t extremely interesting. The monsters were epic, but none of the human characters were really cool. I don’t really mind since they can be ignored for most of the game.

I should also mention the graphics. I doubt this will surprise anyone, but the graphics are some of the best that I’ve ever seen in a game. Imagine the Advent Chidren film, but in 2013 and set in an apocalyptic time. The intro reminded me of Cloud’s fight against Sephiroth and it was definitely similar. Another hero against a hero who turned into a villain. There are definitely a lot of parallels in the games.

I highly recommend getting this game. It’s one of the best games I’ve played and it has passed Kingdom Hearts II for my favorite RPG of all time. This is one game that you definitely will not want to miss. You don’t even need to get the original game first since this one works as a stand alone, but you will appreciate the cameos more if you do get the first one. This game definitely increases the danger and epicness of the game and is the best Final Fantasy game to date. I’m not sure if the final game in the trilogy can possibly top this one, but it is Final Fantasy, so I won’t deny that it has a chance. When a game has the best intro, one of the best endings, and possibly the greatest after credits scene, how can you not buy it!?

Overall 9/10

Lost in Shadow is a unique game that came out for the Wii. I can’t say that I had ever heard of it before I went to Gamestop. When I saw the game, (With such a great price) I knew that I needed to buy it. Everyone had been talking about Limbo being awesome and this looked similar….so why not!? I’m definitely glad that I ended up buying this one.

Lost in Shadow has an epic beginning which may leave room for interpretation. Here’s the plot, (As best as I can describe it) a kid is kidnapped and when he wakes up, his body is gone. His shadow is all that’s left of him and now he needs to find it. It would seem that his body has been taken to the top of a really huge tower. The shadow must be careful, he may not be a physical being, but..THE SHADOW BEAST is lurking around! There are also a lot of other monsters and obstacles that he must be on the lookout for. Not to mention that the being who kidnapped him may still be around.

The plot is definitely intriguing and plays like a horror game. Along the way to the top, you find the memories of other kids who died. Each memory makes you stronger and your health increases. There is a leveling up system in the game, but it’s less prevalent than in most. It’s very easy to level up and each level up is pretty drastic. By the end of the game, you’ll be completely outclassing your opponents. (In the final boss, my health would always be full thanks to the minions) You should probably go and collect all of the 90 memories. Something cool may happen if you do…! I did’t, so I don’t know what the bonus is, but it’s probably worth it. I may go back and do that at some point.

The gameplay is fun and it’s like Mario. Not exactly the same and you do have the option of attacking. I’d say that it’s like a mix of Drawn To Life and Mario. Story mode is decently long and you’ll probably be playing the game for a while. Getting a game over is pretty rare and you really don’t want to die. If you die, then you resume the game as another kid and the previous “you” is added to the total of dead people. It may take a little time to get used to playing in the shadows at first, but you get the hang of it.

Towards the end of the game, you also get to experience the “Light world”. Instead of being a shadow, you become a being of pure light. It’s the only way to exist in the real world without your body and it’s fun. The game turns into a 3D platformer during this part and it can be a nice change of pace.

Time to go into one negative. It’s not a big deal, but the game is pretty easy. There are only 2-3 bosses through the game, but none of them will really pose a threat. You health bar is just wayyyy too big and you don’t need much of a strategy to defeat the enemies. Just keep on swinging your sword and the enemy will go down quickly. The Final Boss is a little different, but you will defeat him easily enough. The minions are constantly re spawning so you can just beat them (In one hit btw) and you’ll gain back most of your health in one shot. Games don’t have to be super difficult, (Like Mega Man X) but I think that it should be a little tougher than this. Take Mario (Only the 2D games) or DBZ. I’d never call them difficult games, but some levels could still take a few tries. It’s not a big deal though, since you’ll enjoy the game anyway.

Well, this was definitely a solid Wii game. The Shadow Beast makes for a pretty impressive villain. He even has his own theme going when you fight him…or when you’re running away from him. Towards the end, this fairy appears who can rip holes in reality. (Or the dimension, but impressive eh? That scene came out of nowhere) I think that the game could definitely use a sequel since I would like to see the mysterious knight battle. (And the ending is pretty depressing for the main character) I definitely recommend this game. You’ll have a unique Wii experience and a lot of fun along the way. The game has a good amount of replay value and I should mention that the graphics are pretty solid. They’re excellent during the cutscenes and look like Final Fantasy. Time to go and buy the game folks!

Overall 6/10

Pokemon is a massively popular franchise and continues to be the one part of Nintendo that even surpasses Mario. (Debatable I suppose..) Most people like to go with the main Pokemon games, (Red, Diamond, Ruby, Heartgold..etc) but the spinoffs can be pretty fun as well. Anyone remember Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Ranger, or Pokemon Colosseum? I’m not going to say that they’re better than the main games of the series, but they are still very good games in their own right. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon has spawned a whole sub-series of video games, but this is the first one that I’ve played.

From the start, you can tell that this is a very different Pokemon game. There are no humans (Not many humans anyway) to speak of and the Pokemon can speak in perfect English. (Via translator) The main character wakes up as a Charmander and he has no idea what has happened. Is he truly a pokemon? Is this all some kind of misunderstanding!? Well, Charmander has no time to think about such trivial matters as a Pikachu comes on the scene. One thing leads to another and they decide to form a team. They help those who are in need of help and they often do it for a modest reward.

For the most part, that’s the plot, but things get more dangerous as the game goes on. The world starts to turn against the heroes as they retreat into the mountains. Can Charmander prove that he’s a nice pokemon and save the world, Or will they track him down and watch as the planet is destroyed? Either way, you’ll want to see the conclusion!

Well, the story line may not be incredibly hardcore and epic, but considering that we don’t have cut scenes, I’d say that it does a nice job. The storyline was fun and didn’t drag on, this was largely because of the gameplay. The gameplay for this game is still turn based, but there are tactics involved. (Ever play Yu Yu Hakusho Tournament Tactics?) In case you haven’t played the game that I mentioned, you are essentially playing from an overhead perspective. Each move counts as a turn and likewise with an attack. It’s simple enough to learn, but making the most out of each situation can take some experience.

The story mode in itself is decently long, but the game has a Lot of replay value. After you complete the game, there are dozens upon dozens of missions left. (Maybe even Hundreds) One day I may go back and complete them all, but they just kept coming and coming and coming and coming! The missions never get boring, but I’ve always got more games to play, so I just didn’t have time. The mission’s Rank determines how tough it will be, but you probably knew that.

When you aren’t completing missions, you can go and spend your hard-earned cash. I found that it’s best to use the cash for new friend areas, but you can also buy some items. There’s even a bank where you can leave your money. (Because when you lose a mission, any money that you were holding goes Kapoot!) Leveling up to 100 and getting as many allies as you can, will also increase the replay value of this game. That’s one thing I’ve always loved about Pokemon, you get a lot of play time for you money!

This was a solid way to start the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. I am looking forward to the next one and I’m sure that it will be a blast. This is definitely a great game to get and I recommend it to just about anyone. The game is fun and as long as you keep on leveling up, it shouldn’t get to be extremely hard. There is also a certified planet destroyer near the end of the game, so you may want to keep an eye out for that. I wonder which Pokemon game I’ll get next! (Rangers 2, Mystery Dungeon 2, DS Remake 2)

Overall 8/10

Mario is/always will be a famous video game icon. When you think of the term “Video Game”, Mario will typically be the first thing that you think of. It’s just a reflex action at this point. Mario may not be in his height of popularity at the moment, but he still has quite a few games coming out every year. (Mario 3D World and Yoshi’s Island for starters.) I’m proud to say that I’ve played nearly all of Mario’s console games. (Starting from the GBA/GC era) Mario’s games are consistently good and you’ll rarely regret buying them. (Unless you got Mario Golf….It’s not awful, but definitely not one of the better ones) New Super Mario Bros was the beginning of Mario’s legacy for the new generation of DS gamers. Let’s see how well it turned out!

New Super Mario Bros throws you into the thick of it, when Bowser Jr. decides to kidnap Peach. Mario attempts to stop him, but he’s quickly taken care of. Mario’s a pretty dependable hero, so even if he fails to save Peach over 10 times, he will continue to try and save her. That’s the basic plot, but there is a mild mystery? Why does Bowser wish to kidnap Peach? Does he want to rule the Mushroom Kingdom with an iron grip? Does he want to conquer the universe? At this point, he may just want to defeat Mario once and for all!

The story may be recycled, but how about the gameplay? Well, it’s more or less what you would expect, but there are subtle changes. The animation is drastically different from the previous installments of the Mario portable games. When I first turned the game on, I was pretty shocked by how ug-different the animation looked. This wasn’t the normal 2D that I was used to playing. The animation grew on me as I played the game, but part of me missed the nostalgia of the old look. The game is a lot easier than the classic Mario World/Land titles, but that’s to be expected. There are still some levels that may take you a few tries, (Especially if you are in a hurry and trying to fast blast through the stages) but nothing that will make you want to close the DS for the next few years. The game is very bright and playing in the Mushroom Kingdom is definitely a blast. It remains as my favorite world in the game.

There’s not much to say character wise. Mario might be an extremely brave hero, or he could be about as brave as he was in the animated movie. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that may be for the best!) Mario’s definitely not that strong or powerful, but he uses the items around him to get the job done! One saddening part of the game is that Luigi wasn’t around. Luigi always gets going when the going gets tough. If he had been around, Peach probably wouldn’t have been kidnapped. It also would have been nice if Princess Peach hadn’t let herself be kidnapped this time. Ah well, I’m sure Nintendo will fix that at some point. We desperately need a new plot. Have some aliens attack NYC or something like that. It would make for a nice change of scenery and I would buy that right away! (Since I took so long to buy this game)

Aside from the regular story mode, there is also a minigame mode. The disappointing part is that many of the mini games are the same as in Super Mario 64 DS. They are still fun to play, but it’s just not as fun as playing a minigame for the first time. The best minigame is sorting the bombs from one area to the other without mixing up the colors. It’s pretty intriguing and a nice way to test your skills.

New Super Mario Bros is definitely a solid Mario game. It’s a good way to pass the time by and it’s pure fun. There’s no part of the game that holds it back and every level is fun in its own way. The game may not be very long, but there is still some decent replay value. Getting all of the gold coins and beating all of the extra levels will help you get your money’s worth. I highly recommend this game to all gamers out there. Even non-gamers will get a kick out of playing this one. There’s just nothing to dislike about it. Buying this game was definitely an accomplishment! Now I just need to purchase that Super Mario 3DS game that I’ve heard so much about….

Overall 7/10

Super Smash Bros is a very intense battle series. After only having 3 games in the lineup, it has already attained a huge fan base. This game is what started it all. Melee finished the job that SSB had started, while Brawl helped to remind everyone why we love the game. With a new Smash Bros game coming out, it was time to check out the original.

The character roster is a lot smaller than the older games, but it can’t be helped. We still do have 8 characters right off the bat, plus 4 unlockables. Seeing that “Challenger Approaching” sign for the first time probably shocked and mystified just about everyone. It was such an epic moment in everyone’s life after all. Mario characters take up a decent chunk of the roster with 33% of the cast. (Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, DK) Pokemon gets 2 fighters, (Pikachu and Jigglypuff) so teaming up, the two series make up half of the cast. Metroid, LoZ, F Zero, Kirby, Earthbound, and Star Fox. Fox McCloud is still my favorite character to play as. but Link is also solid. His sword attack has a pretty good range.

The stage count isn’t huge, but considering that there aren’t many characters, I’d say that it’s enough. We have the classic Corneria, which is much bigger than in the sequels. The Pokemon stage was very fun to play on, while the LoZ stage is so nostalgic. There is also an unlockable stage that I recommend you try out. It’s a stage that every video game fan will likely remember. Final Destination is actually not available for multiplayer mode, but it’s the original, so they had to make some mistakes.

Classic Mode is a little different in this game. There is a set lineup, so you always fight the same characters. It’s actually a clever idea since it feels more like an Arcade Mode. It’s a very fun mode to play and who doesn’t remember taking on Metal Mario? The music is really cool and Metal Mario is pretty tough to knock out of the ring. I wish they had kept him in for the sequels, but maybe someday he will be back. During one of the events, we have a minigame where you need to get to the end of a 5 floor area. Several opponents will attempt to stop you, but it’s very epic. There’s a sense of urgency and the atmosphere gets pretty tense. In the 2nd final battle, you take on the Fighting Polygons! Those guys definitely mean business and they’re classic. My favorite villains of the Master Hand are still the Multiman (Melee), but these guys are a solid step up from the Multi Man. (Brawl) The idea behind them was definitely epic and they’re pretty cool to battle.

Master Hand is the final boss of course. He still strikes fear into the hearts of many, but with an intro like that, who wouldn’t be afraid!? The Master Hand is definitely awesome and he packs a punch. I’m not sure who thought of putting him in as the final boss, but it was definitely a good move. I still think that the Master Hand could be one of Mario’s gloves. It looks very similar after all.

Super Smash Bros had a cool mode that was called “Board The Platforms!”. It was pretty good and I dare say that it’s more fun than Target Test. The object of the game is to land on all of the platforms. Admittedly, it is pretty easy, but I’m sure that they could make it tougher in a future installment. We also have the usual Target Test mode, which was better than usual. Each character gets a unique Target Test course, which makes things a lot more interesting. The mode can be short at times, but it’s definitely exciting.

Of course, we have Vs. Mode, which is where you will probably spend most of your time. The gameplay is nice and fast. You’ll constantly be on the attack, unless you want to be attacked. The items are pretty fun to play with, and it’s nice to see the retro pokemon. The Ray Gun is a lot better than in the old games and it actually paralyzes the opponent. Not bad eh!? The C stick won’t work in this game, so we won’t have any spamage. It’s time to use pure skill to unveil your Smash Attacks.

Super Smash Bros was the start of a legendary series. When it first came out, I’m sure that everyone was in an uproar. It was unthinkable to crossover so many series and also give it such a great form of gameplay. When this first came out, I would have given it a 10. Things have changed and it has a lot of competition nowadays, so that is no longer an option. Still, it’s an incredibly fun game and I would still give it high marks. While it is a lot older than the other two Smash games, it is superior in some ways, while it can’t keep up in others. The music in the game is incredible and it still lives up to this day. I can’t think of a single “bad” song in the entire game. The animation is also pretty great and it’s definitely nostalgic. It reminds me of the N64, but maybe that’s because it started out on that console. It’s the best N64 game and also one of the best video games of all time. I don’t think we’ll ever forget Super Smash Bros.

Overall 9/10