Game Review: Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

Basic Information:

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System: Nintendo DS
Genre: blend of ARPG with Strategic tank battles
Difficulty: Easy
Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: September 2006
Rating: E for everyone
Retail Price: $ 19.99 US ($ 24.99 CAN)


What it's About:

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Your a young slime named Rocket from the kingdom of Slimenia, and the only slime left. An evil organization named "the Plob" has kidnapped all the other slimes in the kingdom and as the only one left, it's up to you to save your fellow slimes from being locked away in little boxes for the rest of their lives. With the help of the legendary Schleiman tank, you may have what it takes to save the kingdom and become a hero.


Gameplay:

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Rocket Slime is unique in the way it blends strategy with classic Action RPG gameplay. Most of the time you will play the game like any other ARPG; Rocket moves around each area with the control pad and attacks the enemies in real time with his electro stretch (the A button). What is unique to Rocket Slime, is that Rocket can also carry his enemies on his head (along with items and other slimes he rescues). However, he is limited to only three things, and will be unable to carry more. Once he is carrying something on his head, he can throw it onto a passing train cart and the item, enemy, or slime will be taken to Slimenia. Enemies that are picked up will also not attack, but train carts are located in a few specific locations, so sometimes, you will be forced to discard one thing in order to carry another. Of course, like any ARPG, Rocket can also defeat enemies, defeated enemies will leave behind money and sometimes a healing item or a mysterious loot bag. Loot bags must be thrown onto carts, and after Rocket heads back to Slimenia, the mysterious loot will be his.

Now, one doesn't have to grab and throw anything onto the train carts, but doing so is necessary for progression. For one, it is much easier to throw a slime Rocket finds on the cart to take it back to town, rather then backtrack to the beginning of the level to exit that way. Second, items are used in tank battles, and only items transported to town can be loaded onto Rocket's tank. So if you want to win Tank Battles and progress through the game, you are going to need to collect at least a few items. Third, if you collect enough of the same type of enemy (30 to be exact), they will offer their services as a member of your tank crew.

Now, about the Tank Battles. Throughout each area there will be enemies waiting to challenge you to tank battles. You can accept or decline these offers, however there will be a few story related tank battles that you will have to win. Once you are challenged to a Tank Battle, Rocket will summon the Schleiman Tank and the versus screen will appear; afterwards you will find Rocket inside the Schleiman tank. During a tank battle, Rocket will have to pick up the various ammo (namely the items you have loaded onto the tank) from the shoots located in your tank and carry them over to the cannons. Rocket will have to thrown the ammo into the cannon, either the top or bottom one, and then the cannon will fire the ammo. However, your opponent will be doing the same thing and your aim will be to reduce your opponent tank's HP to zero. Once the enemy tank's HP hits zero, the tank will become vulnerable and Rocket will have to traverse into the enemy tank to finish it once and for all; this is accomplished by attacking the tank's heart. Of course the enemy will be able to do the same, but what prevents this part from becoming difficult is the fact that even with zero HP, you can still win the fight as long as you keep the enemy units away from your tank's heart.

Strategy comes into play when choosing which units to take along with you on your tank battles; most units will have two commands you can issue them and once issued, they will continue doing those commands. Commands range from firing ammo to sabotaging the enemy tank. Likewise each peace of ammo is different, some ammo hits strong, some gives lots of protection and some have special abilities. Deciding which to load is very important, especially during multiplayer.

Story & Characters:

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Rocket Slime doesn't take itself seriously and you can tell by looking at the colorful graphics, absurd plot, or wacky characters. Characters don't have much of a story, but they have very distinct personalities. Some of the female slimes will hint at their romantic interest in Rocket the hero and some will outright say it. What I mean to say by this is that the characters are a varied bunch, both in appearance and responses.

The story of Rocket Slime is nothing complex or intricate, but what it lacks in intricacy, it makes up in charm. The developers knew Rocket Slime was a light-hearted adventure, so they gave the story as many absurd but funny situations as possible. The villains are never menacing, but goofy, the slimes often have puns in their names and the princess you rescue at the end is a self centered glutton who happily tells you she is yours.

The story and characters fit very well, as does the overall feel of the game. You will know that Rocket Slime is a light charming adventure the moment you begin to play. The story and characters are there to make the package complete, but they don't go beyond that, because Rocket Slime knew what sort of game it was. Story and characters although charming, take a back seat to gameplay, which is the real hook of Rocket Slime, and the game makes no effort to hide that. This is a good thing because the funny atmosphere actually makes the game much more enjoyable, and the focus is always on the gameplay which is the strongest point of Rocket Slime.

Art & Graphics:

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The art and graphics are very simple and lend well to the charming and upbeat mood of the game. They won't wow you with their realism or detail, but they don't need to because Rocket Slime is about pure absurd fun, and the graphics and character designs reflect that. If you play games for graphics, you won't like Rocket Slime, but if you play games for gameplay, Rocket Slime is what you have been waiting for!

Again art is simple, but bright and clear. You will have no problem recognizing enemies and friends. Each slime has a very distinct look (ranging from angelic slimes to the three ninja brothers). Enemies are also taken from the prolific Dragon Quest (from Platypunks to Drakees) . And the bright graphics add to the wacky mood of Rocket Slime. Simple graphics and art done right is the best way to sum up what I think of Rocket Slime in this area.

I don't usually like busy box art, but Rocket Slime is the exception. While the cover is busy, it still has a vocal point, Rocket blasting off, so I don't find it too distracting.

Sound & Music:

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Most of the music is light and simple. There are no majestic orchestral, or ominous tunes, but that doesn't really matter in this game because the whole premise is about brightly packaged fun. And the music fits that description very well. It sets the mood exceptionally, even if it isn't the best music out there. I managed to find one song from Rocket Slime on youtube that had decent sound quality. It's the theme from the town, Boingburg, one of the most happy and light tones. Just listen to it to get an idea of the rest of the music in Rocket Slime.

Multiplayer:

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This is where Rocket Slime really shines! As far as I can tell only local wireless is supported with up to four players (two per side). Multiplayer mode pits you against your friend in a Tank Battle, but before the battle starts, you and your opponent get to choose your tank (from the ones you have unlocked), the HP of each tank, and the backdrop. The ammo remains the same as the ones you have fitted onto the Schleiman Tank. Once the battle begins, hilarity insures as you and your opponent will be frantically picking up ammo and throwing it into the cannons. Once you get your opponent's HP to zero, you must run into their Tank and deal the finishing blow. What makes multiplayer so satisfying is that playing against a human opponent is tougher and battles can last hours before one side manages to overpower the other. I frankly do not put more then 500 HP per tank, otherwise battles get too long.

Another major problem with multiplayer is that both parties need the game. It can get very challenging to find even a single friend who is nearby and owns the game. In fact none of my friends have this game, only my brother has it and I was the one who bought it for him. Multiplayer is thus fun if you can find someone who has the game as well. Furthermore, multiplayer becomes open very early into the game, and while this may be a good thing, it opens the door to some very uneven match-ups. Ammo that one can only have access to near the end of the game can easily decimate a Tank equipped with ammo from earlier in the game. Thankfully because the multiplayer mode is only local wireless, you can easily tell your friend that he or she had or has an unfair advantage and they better make it up to you (via HP decreasing/increasing).

My Thoughts & Recommendations:

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Rocket Slime is a very fun game. The story is plain but humorous, the characters are wacky, and the graphics are bright and vibrant. Although the game isn't too challenging, it is still a good deal of fun and can be enjoyed by players of all levels. If you know someone with a DS, make them buy this game with you, multiplayer is more then worth the 24.99 CAN. You may even find yourself having quite a bit of fun as you proceed through the main single player mode in order to unlock more ammo and tanks. Likewise, those who finish the main story will find lots to do after the credits roll. First there is a little bit more of the story still left to finish, a few quests from the town slimes, monster & ammo collecting, Tank Masters, and multiplayer of course. All-in-all, for such a low price, Rocket Slime packs a lot of value.

I was a little disappointed that there was no gender choice involved. However, since I was playing as a little blue blob, I often fancied that Rocket was a she. The pronouns used to address Rocket brought me back to reality, but it was still fun pretending Rocket was a little girl slime out her save her town. It was especially funny when the female slimes would proclaim their love to Rocket, whom I christened a girl. So Rocket slime does have a bit of role playing if you want to imagine yourself as a little blue slime.

Conclusion:

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Cons:	Pros:
*lacks gender choice *some of the music is uninspiring *Needs multiple carts to use the multiplayer function	*charming story & characters *music fits the mood of the story *bright & colorful graphics *Tank Battles are fun *multiplayer is lots of fun!! *Art is cute

-Overall a very fun game. Highly recommended-

~Joanna

Gaming Update: Summer Gaming Coming to a Close

So summer vacation is now finished, but I still haven't made much of a dent on my backlog. If anything the monster grew. ^^;;; Anyways, here is what I'm currently playing:

1.Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (NDS)
I was playing this before, but I put it down for months because I got distracted and I basically forgot what I was doing, so I decided to restart from the very beginning, case one. I have finally made it back to case three, which is where I was when I put the game down. Hopefully, I can finish this game now without any interruptions. Well at least I'm pretty determined to do so >:)

No new impressions, since I've barely started case three, and I've already played the other two before. But I just want to say that it's pretty amazing how much I still recall and how much I've forgotten. Also, what is up with Ace Attorney/ Gyakuten Saiben always having those innocent frail girls turn out to be conniving little b*tchs? hmmm? Well at least case three doesn't seem to have any fake innocent girls, not that I hate these types of villains, because I don't; I think the type is used well in the ace attorney games. It's just that after a few of them, I want a different type of villain to mix things up a bit. =)


2.Knights in the Nightmare (NDS)
I was really excited about playing this game when I heard Atlus was going to publish it in North America, but I was sad to learn that it would be released when I would be out of the country. Thankfully I managed to procure a copy even after it had been released for over a month; the only down side is that I didn't get the beautiful pre-order bonus art book. *sniff* =(

I'm really enjoying this game and it has exceeded my standards. I'm about half way through (I think), but I'm making really slow progress. ^^;;; I'm pretty busy even without school so I play it here and there, and I am currently on Scene 32. Plus, because the battles are so intense, I tend to grip the stylus too hard and it digs into my hand, so I can't play this one for long periods of time. ^^;;; (Yeah I'm pathetic)

Still I'm really happy with this game and I am enjoying it a lot. The combat is so unique, I don't think anyone has ever mixed a shooter with a SRPG, and even though it sounds impossible, it really works well. Sometimes the bullets (especially during boss battles) can be overwhelming, but the resume (or was it replay) button makes things a little easier. The story is pretty good as well, but a little disjointed because it's told in fragments. Art and music are very very beautiful. I think the only aspect of the game that is not done as well is the characters. This is mainly because only the story related characters actually get flushed out, even with the pause talks, the regular characters still don't feel as important or developed as Maria, Capehorn, or Yelma (the latter two are villains). Not that I mind because as long as gameplay is solid, I'm happy; story, art, music, and characters are nice bonuses (which I appreciate a lot as well). I can tell that Knights has had a lot of effort put into the game, since not only is the gameplay solid, but so is the art, story, music, and the characters. Everything is well done, and this game is another gem from Atlus. It's also my first Sting game, so I'll be looking out for more games from this developer from now on.

I just want to point out once more that he art is amazing. I currently have an image of maria as my wallpaper and I've saved a few more images to use in the future. The artist is really talented and I really regret missing out on the bonus art book. The music is also very pretty and each piece fits the mood; there is also a lot of variety, for which I am also thankful. The music on the title menu is very pretty and I could listen to it for hours on end. =3

SPOILER ALERT: The following deals with characters and the story and my thoughts on it so far!!!!

-I like the relationship between Maria and Melissa, I hope we get to see these two interact more (but I doubt we will because the last battle with Melissa made it seem that she was destroyed for good).
-I cannot believe Wilmgard has a lover, it really doesn't fit his character. =/ And it also felt out of place in a story about loss.
-I don't understand why all the characters refer to Nordich as the selfish prince. In the flashback, the prince was worried about his father and kingdom. It seemed like he didn't know what Capehorn was up to, although I will admit he did seem awfully fixated on his own kingship and authority. Still even so I don't think he is selfish, but I guess the other characters wouldn't know this since Capehorn was acting as the mouth piece of the prince.
-The underworld has made its move, yet Asgard, the realm of gods has not, I wonder why. Maybe it has something to do with Melissa?ok that's all for the spoilers and knights in the nightmare. It seems like this is going to be yet another long post. ^^;;

3. Children of Mana (NDS)
I picked it up again after a year, thankfully because there is practically no story, I was able to jump right back in. As a mana game, it disappoints, but it's good for some random pick up and play. I usually play it when I feel like picking something up for a bit; it's mindless hack 'n' slash, so it's good for killing a few minutes. I think I'm pretty close to the end, but with this kind of game, one can never really know.

Also I cannot help but feel that the art direction and music was wasted on this game. The art is so lovely and the music is nice, but the gameplay is generic. This art and music would have benefited from being used in a typical mana game (like sword or secret of mana). In such a generic and mindless hack 'n' slash game, the art and music, although nice, cannot save the game's shortcomings and they would have benefited a better game more. Regardless, I'm still mildly enjoying Children of Mana because it's easy to pick up and play and a good mindless time waster. This one will be coming with me to school a lot, so I'll probably finish it before 2010 rolls around. =)


4. Shinning Force (GEN)
I'm on the last chapter, but I've been playing it sparsely (as usual for me). I still have a bit of level grinding to do. But I finally managed to promote Adam and I got him at level 10 unpromoted two battles ago, which is insane this late in the game. Thankfully Tao learned boast not too long ago so I was able to use boast and get him to level 20 that way. I had to use boast because his attack stat was pathetic since he was unpromoted and without boast he was doing 1 point of damage. This is why I do not understand the logic behind giving the player such a low leveled unit this late in the game, unless it's to piss off, I mean challenge us completionists. I'm currently attempting to get all my characters to level 10 promoted because I want to max them all out and complete this game in one go. Getting them to level 10 now will make it more manageable to max them later (level 20 is the max). All my units are around levels 6-8 right now, so I still have a bit of grinding to do.


6. Super Mario Advance (GBA)
I'm suck on 5-3 T__________________________T
Near the end of the level you have to steal a flying carpet from an enemy and ride it to the other side, but the carpet disappears after some time and I keep dying because the carpet disappears before I make it to the other side. The one time I did make it to the boss, I died before I could finish him because I have one life left. sob sob. This game is somewhat on hold because I'm a little too frustrated to play it. Speaking of frustration....


7.Professor Layton and the Curious Village (NDS)
I am stuck on puzzle 135, the last of the professor's challenges. It's so frustrating because I finally discovered how to solve 134 (which was also giving me grief). That stupid red block, I can't get it out. sob sob. I keep repeating the same moves over and over again. I know I'm missing something, but I can't seem to figure it out. T___________T
This one is currently on hold because it gave me too much grief. :/

I finally hit the big 5-0

When my little brother discovered, by chance, the first Rune Factory in the bargain bin for only 20 CAN, I knew I had to pick it up at such a cheap price. Rune Factory is my 50th DS game! So I finally reached my goal of owning 50 DS games! Now I'm on to 100, or not. hehehe. We shall see.

Sorry about the picture quality. You probably won't be able to make out some of the games. But if your interested in my collection, I have an account on Backloggery.com under the same username, soaring_wings. My whole collection is listed on there ( not just DS games). You can also see how pathetic my beat statistics is ^^;;;;

edit: I currently own 53 DS games. The three not pictured are Dragon Ball Origins, Wario: Master of Disguise, and Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times.

~Joanna

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon Preorder Goodies!!

I love Fire Emblem, so naturally I pre-ordered the DS remake of the very first game. EB Games gave out this decent Laser Cell with a pre-order of the game. The game came out in February, but I've just been taking my time with posting my spoils =P

The game itself is fun, but it's missing a few staples of the franchise; like unit bonding. But it also has a few nice addition as well, like the harm button (which is X) that shows you the range of all enemy units (helpful when your trying to protect your frail units)

Also, is it just me, or is this Fire Emblem more RNG harsh than other FE games. I mean 80% of the time, my units get only 0-2 bonuses when they level up. Usually I get at least 3-4 and only on rare occasions do I only get 0-2 from any unit (and I use them all, so this includes the 'crappy' units as well), but with this game the problem seems to be even more apparent. Right now I'm playing on Normal Mode (which is the easiest mode) so the problem isn't too bad (since enemies are low leveled and in smaller numbers), but it will become a problem when I play on the harder difficulties.

Oh and the prologue (which you have to play on normal to see) was alright, but the last chapter was annoying (why do I need to sacrifice a unit!? this does not bode well for OCD players like me. I did sacrifice Jagen, but I was NOT happy about it, not one bit...grr.)

~Joanna

Dsing Update

Finished Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure!!
I finally finished the game, and the ending was touching =) Even with the glitches, I found it was worth playing if you haven't played it already. And I'm also quite proud of myself for finishing something! I've got quite the backlog you see ^^;;

Hopefully I will get to the review soon enough ^^;;

I'm currently working my way through luminous arc 2 & Chrono Trigger. I've already beaten Chrono Trigger, but I love being able to play it again ^^ Luminous Arc 2 is even better than the first game. The only problem I have with it is that "character breaks" (talking with your characters) only happen during story segments and only with a select few characters =(

Hope the rest of you are having as much fun with your DSes as I am! =)

~Joanna

Atlus Spoils: Luminous Arc 2 Pre-order Goodies!

I've been meaning to get around to taking a picture of the nice bundle I got with Luminous Arc 2. Sorry about the horrible lighting ^^;;

The CD actually comes with all purchases of LA2, but the art book was a pre-order bonus. I was so happy to actually get it since I live in Canada, and we Canadians usually get "shafted" when it comes to pre-order bonuses. =(

As you can tell by the art book cover, the second game has as much fan service as the first. In this game Fatima, the shadow frost witch, is the new Vanessa. But surprisingly, most of the pictures aren't fan service oriented at all, most are beautiful full color character collages. The majority of the book is filled with character profiles, which as far as I can tell don't contain any spoilers. =)
Also, this art book has art and profiles from both games! ^______________^

The CD has eight tracks, and some really nice ones too. Actually both Luminous Arc games have beautiful musical scores!

I'm currently progressing through the game, and the story is less typical so far, than in the first game; there was plot twist that I actually didn't see coming! The voice acting is also very well done; I'm satisfied with all the castings this time. And true to the developer's word, LA2 is more difficult then the first game. It isn't hard, but it isn't easy either, and you're going to have to be more careful this time around. Also, I am very happy to report that not only are the battles more balanced, but so are physical and magic attacks. In the first game, half way through, magic became obsolete. So far, magic attacks do a good amount of damage, and your going to be using the witches as casters majority of the time. In the first game, I never made most of the witches casts spells unless the enemy was too far to reach, because they did more damage physically attacking than when casting a spell!

~Joanna

Game Review: Luminous Arc

Basic Information:

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Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: SRPG
Difficulty: Easy-to-Fair
Developer: Image Epoch
Publisher: Atlus U.S.A
Release Date: August 2007
Rating: T for teen
Retail Price: $ 29.99 US ($ 34.99 CAN)

What it's About:

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Something sinister has began to stir; monstrous fiends plague the countryside and witches, the harbingers of destruction, have began to appear. The Luminous Church has called on a special group of youths called the Garden Children to help aid in the fight against the fiends. But the group runs into a strange girl by the name of Lucia, who appears to be a witch herself, but unlike the tales, she isn't interested in harming humans. Meanwhile another witch has been spotted terrorizing a village. Something isn't quite right, and the Garden Children are determined to go after the witches to figure out just what is mere tale and what is truth.


Gameplay:

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If you have ever played a SRPG (Strategy RPG), then you will know how the gameplay in Luminous Arc works. There is nothing in Luminous that has not been seen in another SRPG; this may be either something you welcome or something you disdain. For me, it was a much welcomed return to the solid foundations of all SRPGs. That's not to say I don't like experimental SRPGs, but only that I welcome returns to the basic formula as well as diversions from it. For those of you unfamiliar with SRPGs, Luminous Arc gives you a handful a characters that become your units. The overworld map is broken down into locations that contain either random battles or story battles. Random battles happen randomly when you passover the location, but story battles only happen when you are at the location of the next story battle and you click on the menu option to progress the story. You will then read a bit of dialogue between the characters (much like in a interactive novel) which sets up the next story related fight. Luminous arc is notorious all over the internet for it's lengthy dialogue, but I for one, quite enjoy the dialogued scenes, some of which have partial voice overs. After the back story for the battle is set up, you will be allowed to choose the units (characters) you wish to bring with you for the battle; sometimes due to story circumstances, you will be forced to bring certain units along. I believe the maximum amount of units you can bring with you is 6. After you have chosen, you will move each units on a grid-like battlefield. To attack, most units will have to be next to an enemy unit; however long range weapons and magic spells or skills will allows you to attack from a distance. Each character's statistics (both your units and the enemy's) will determine how much damage a certain enemy receives, and your unit will receive experience for attacking and using support spells. The amount of experience is determined by your level compared to the enemy's, and whether or not it is a finishing blow. When your unit gains enough experience, it will level up like in an RPG, becoming stronger and sometimes learning a new skill or spell.

Once you complete a battle (either story or random) you will get the option to speak with one of the characters you used in battle. You cannot talk to Alph, the main character, as he will be the one who interacts with the other characters. Basically you play as Alph, and the story takes place in his perspective. Also note that the option to speak with the other characters only becomes available after a few story battles; thus you won't be able to talk with your units right away. When Alph speaks with the other characters, they will provide some interesting information about themselves and often ask Alph a question. You will be given three responses, and depending upon the response, you may increase that character's affection for you. You can usually tell if you replied right or not by the characters response to Alph. Increasing affection improves Alph's and the other character's stats when the two are next to each other on the battlefield. Also most female characters will give Alph hints that they are attracted to him when their affection for him grows in later dialogues. As far as I know, these dialogues do not change the ending of the game, making Alph and a certain female character the cannon pairing. Also, unlike Fire Emblem, only Alph and the chosen character can interact, other characters cannot.


Story & Characters

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Luminous has a colorful cast of characters and Atlus has done a beautiful job localizing all the text. However, don't expect deep and evolving characters, most characters don't evolve beyond the stereotypical role they are placed in, but that's not to say it's a bad thing. Image Epoch and Atlus both knew these characters were highly stereotypical, so rather then going the serious route, Atlus reinforced the stereotypes in silly and overall enjoyable ways. The worst thing a gaming company can do is try to make stereotypical characters serious. That's not to say it cannot be done, just that video games tend to be the least successful medium when it comes to making stereotypes provocative and deeper then at first they seem. Taking the silly and funny route with characters makes them much more enjoyable than they normally would be.

The story also is very typical and I knew what was coming even before the game started. But again, do not misunderstand, just because a story is obvious and a little overdone, does not mean it is bad. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, even through I knew what was going to happen. The characters really made the story more endearing because they were so off-the-wall. And some of the hidden bonus missions were treats as well; they give you a deeper look into some of the characters without the game taking itself too seriously. In particular the Vivi bonus mission was interesting, even if it left most of what it introduced into the story undeveloped.


Art & Graphics

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This is where Luminous Arc really shines. The backdrops used during dialogue periods are lovely and quite varied. The character models and mini portraits are just as lovely, and quite detailed as well. If your a fan of the art style found in most manga and anime, then you will throughly appreciate the character portraits in Luminous. There was clearly a lot of effort put forward in the art department and the game shows it. Character models are not only detailed, but come in a number a variations depicting different emotions, which only add to the overall quality of the dialogue parts. The number of emotions each character displays is astonishing, so much so that these character models seem made for a interactive novel game, not a SRPG. If you like adventure games and dialogued sequences, then you will throughly be pampered by Luminous; it has voice overs, beautiful character models depicting a varying range of emotions, and lovely backdrops to accent it all.

The graphics aren't as pampered as the character portraits and models, but they are quite lovely as well. Each of the character units is beautifully detailed, you will know who is who without a second glance. Battlefields as well are quite detailed and varied; some are better looking then others, but all are well done. Skill and spell effects are not as beautiful, but they get the work done. Luminous is one of the graphically better SRPGs available on the DS at the moment, and although it's not as refined as say FFTA2, it is still among the better graphically faring SRPGs.

As for the box art, it's too busy. There are too many elements, and the end effect isn't as nice. It's decent, but it could have been better if Atlus redesigned it and decreased the amount of characters on the front.


Music & Sound

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Luminous Arc also features really nice music; some tracks are better then others, but overall, it has some really nice music. In-battle music is energizing and makes you want to kick some monster butt.^^ Likewise, the dialogued scenes have music which fits the mood, and special "boss" fights have some of the best tracks around. Composer Yoko Shimomura really showed she has the talent to provide beautiful music for video games. Some of the really nice tracks include: the prelude, the wandering forest, traces of the journey, ancient myth, brace for battle, prayer, the spring breeze is blowing, and grief.

The voice overs are decent as well, although I had a few issue with some of the casting choices. My biggest problem was with Mel, who sounded a little too much like a crabby old lady. The luminous site did say that Mel speaks like an adult, and I assumed it to mean she speaks formally, rather then sounding like a crabby old women. But her voice actress got a lot better later on, and she sounded less crabby and more cute (or maybe I just got used to the voice). I also had a slight problem with Alph, he doesn't sound bad, but I would have liked a better voice actor for the main lead. A lot of other people had a problem with Nikolai's actor, but I actually found his annoying voice to fit Nikolai's character to a tee. =)

Below is a sample of the music found in Luminous Arc, it's the "prayer" track, my favourite theme in the whole game, I think. =)


Multiplayer

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Luminous Arc does feature Wi-fi multiplayer, but I haven't tried it out, so I can't really say how good it is. If I do eventually try it out, I'll add my thoughts here and give it a score.


My Thoughts & Recommendations

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Being an SRPG fan, this may be a little biased, so keep that in mind, but I will try to be as objective as possible. =) Luminous Arc is, in my opinion, a very enjoyable romp through the SRPG genre. It lacks the same depth that most SRPGs are now offering in gameplay, but it makes that up with wacky characters, and an interesting, albeit typical, story. I genuinely enjoyed playing the game, and even chuckled a couple of times. If your looking for a fun game of good length look no further. =)

If your a beginner to SRPGs, then this game is for you. Most of the game isn't too difficult and it serves nicely as an introductory SRPG. But be warned, there are two fights in this game that can be difficult, thankfully if you are having trouble, you can level grind. Veterans won't find much challenge, but they may find an amusing game, as I did. If your itching for another SRPG, then I recommend Luminous Arc; it's surprisingly pleasant. If your curious about the genre and are willing to give it a try, then I also recommend Luminous Arc.

Parents, be aware of the T rating on this game. It's not a difficult game, so it would be good for newcomers, but I can't recommend it to young children as some of the witches are rather skimpily clad (Vanessa in particular) and there are quite a number of sexual references in the game. As can be seen by looking at some of the witches, this game is aimed at the male demographic. However, it can be enjoyed by us ladies as well if we are able to put aside the distasteful amount of cleavage service. Quite ironically actually, Vanessa became one of my favourite characters in the game, she's got an interesting personality if you can get over the role she is given. Also, I found some of the sexual jokes funny; it was mostly Nikolai and his witch sensor that amused me because of its utter ridiculousness. When playing Luminous Arc, it's best to just enjoy the rather immature humour, I find it makes the game twice as good.lol. If you get offended by the objectification of females, then you will be offended by luminous arc. Vanessa is a sexual fantasy, that is her role. However, if you can set aside your feelings about the game's portrayal of females, you will find yourself pleasantly surprised and you may even crack a smile.
 
Conclusion

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Cons:	Pros:
*Rather predictable story *Uneven difficulty *Intermission talks do not alter ending *Lack of customization *Busy boxart	*Gorgeous music *Pretty art *Nice presentation & graphics *Generally good voice acting *Funny scenarios *Likable Characters *Intermission Talks *Fun to play *Post-game content *Wi-Fi multiplayer

Verdict: fun game worth picking up if you like the genre or want to give it a chance

~Joanna

Where Has Nintendo of America Gone??

The DS is almost bare of any Nintendo(aka first party) support of late; where oh where has Nintendo of America gone? Sadly I know the answer to that, the Wii. As much as I like the Wii, I wish Nintendo wouldn't play favourites as much as it does. Inevitably this always happens, the console is pampered, while the handheld has to fend for itself. Sure the DS is doing great, and the Wii needs more support, but why has Nintendo of America all but abandoned DS support? Where are all the great Nintendo DS titles from Japan? That is the question! Come on Nintendo of America don't leave us poor handheld owners in the cold yet again.....

1. Where is ASH (Archaic Sealed Heat)?

Yes, ASH sold poorly in Japan and it was never confirmed for North American release. BUT it did show up on the ESRB, so that at least means Nintendo of America had played with the idea of releasing it in the west. So where is the tactical RPG now? nobody knows but Nintendo; maybe it's still on the way, or maybe it was scraped. Either way, there has been no news about it since the sighting of it in May on the ESRB site.

2. Where is Professor Layton 2 & 3?

Another title that has been very hushed; nothing about the second installment has been heard or confirmed, expect for the little statement in the manual of the first Layton game:

"The sequel to this game will give you a password."

The chances for Layton hitting the west are a lot better then ASH, but the silence at Nintendo has been disheartening. There have been a few valid points as to why Nintendo of America is keeping its lips sealed. They include: the localization of a puzzle and word intensive game takes time and Layton isn't ready just yet, and/or the other regions where Layton was recently released will inevitably hear about it if Nintendo of America announces the sequel, so Nintendo is keeping quiet to increase sales. (But I don't quite understand why sales would decrease if the people in those regions heard about the sequel; if anything they would increase, because the sequel continues the tale and although having played the first game isn't required, it will help with understanding character relations and where the story left off). The other less attractive alternatives are, either Nintendo of America is waiting out the economic storm, or they dropped Layton altogether and are not planning on releasing any more games. That or they just like to irritate us fans by not giving us any confirmations =/

Edit: Level 5 confirmed that Layton 2 is currently being localized for the west, so it's definitely coming. I estimate it will be out late 2009 (most likely during the holidays)
Edit 2: It's official release date is August 24th :D

3.Where is Rhythm Heaven (Rhythm Tengoku Gold)?

So I'm not too fond of the rhythm genre and I'm not really regretting the absence of this game, but there are a lot of others who were genuinely excited about its localization. It's even been featured in Nintendo Power's News Section in issue 232 and the issue following it had the game listed in the Game Watch Forecast as TBA. Sure it hasn't had an official O.K., but the majority of the games featured in Nintendo Powers' News and Preview section get localized. So the question remains, where is it? And unlike ASH and Layton, Rhythm Heaven has very little dialogue; the only reason I can see it taking so long, is if Nintendo of America is changing some of the rhythm mini games to be more "western".

EDIT: Rhythm Heaven is confirmed! It's coming out in March I believe. Rejoice rhythm genre fans.
EDIT 2: Actually according to Amazon, it's coming in November. Well at least it's coming right rhythm fans?
EDIT 3: It was released in April along with the DSi

4.Where is Elite Beat Agents 2?

Japan has already three installments of their equivalent of EBA (i believe it's called Ouenden), but NA hasn't heard anything about another EBA game. The first Elite Beat Agents game was published over 2 years ago, so where is the sequel? Really, it shouldn't be taking them more then 3 years to develop another EBA.

5.Where is Soma Bringer?

Unlike ASH, Layton, or Rhythm Heaven, there has been nothing to suggest that Nintendo of America plans on bringing this little gem of an action RPG to NA. At a time when most companies are bringing over all the RPGs they can, I find Nintendo of America's attitude very odd. Maybe they think there is too much competition, but I just hope and pray that Nintendo of America does not become the next Namco-Bandai, which habitually ignores its awesome handheld RPGs (& related genres) as possible titles for localization. The screenshot to the left doesn't do this game justice, to see the beautiful graphics, it's best to watch a gameplay video.

6.Why is Fire Emblem coming to Europe before it hits North America?

So Europe usually gets the shaft with release dates, but this time North Americans are feeling neglected. Sure, maybe Nintendo of America is playing it safe and waiting for the economy to stablize, but I don't understand why they are not releasing this gem in december here as well as in Europe. Especially since Nintendo has nothing planned for the DS in december and the holiday rush. If they already had something to release during Christmas, then I would understand their logic, but releasing it a month or two later when they don't have anything to release for the DS this Christmas is incomprehensible, and I don't think the economy will improve drastically over two months...I think Nintendo of America needs to hire someone else for scheduling release dates.

Alright, so I may be being a little unfair to Nintendo of America, since Nintendo of Japan isn't spitting out that much lately either. But unlike Nintendo of Japan, our Nintendo has a few games that it could release, but just doesn't seem in any hurry to do so. Why oh why is Nintendo being so lazy? I want these first party gems and I want them in english, so I can actually understand what I am playing. All that is left for me is to hope Nintendo doesn't entirely turn its back on us DS owners and does publish these eventually. Come on Nintendo, don't fail me again!

~Joanna

Problems with the DS Port of Rhapsody =(

As promised, I will link up to the two Siliconera blog posts that detail the problems with the DS port of Rhapsody. Click on the picture to your left for the link to the article featuring two problematic glitches in Rhapsody. As I say in the comments, I have only experienced the second, more frustrating glitch, which prevents you from receiving a special item for completing the Egg Brother's Side Quest. The first glitch mentioned in the post is a glitch that makes the screen go black during certain musical segments in the game. Luckily, this glitch is usually fixed by reloading your last saved file; the same cannot be said of the Egg Brother glitch.

Click on the picture to your right to link to the article featuring the missing bonus content from the North American version of Rhapsody, which saw many commentators in outrage. I too was disappointed with the bonus content being cut, but since I didn't play the original game, I was at least pleased to be able to experience it. And last but not least, click on the picture of Kururu below to link to NISA's Rhapsody site and click on their "To The Rhapsody Owners" to see a formal apology about the missing bonus content. Strangely enough, they do not address what caused the abundance of glitches in this port, because doing so, they would have to admit that it wasn't the lack of resources, but also their lack of interest in the title. But then again, anyone reading it can see that they weren't expecting good sales from Rhapsody and basically didn't give two shits about the game, hence the minimal effort, lacking content, and glitches. Now if NISA really wanted to do their fans a service with Rhapsody, they could have allocated the small resources they did, but gave the title more time for at least a decent localization. Rhapsody was rushed so that it could be released along side of Disgaea; a shame really, because the game deserves of its own spotlight and much more effort.
~Joanna

Rhapsody Fan Art

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is a charming little RPG now available for the Nintendo DS. It is a port of the PSone game bearing the same name. There are a few problems with this port discussed in a Siliconera post, which I will link to in the next post. But if you can accept its flaws, you will find yourself on a cute and funny ride with Cornet, the star of the game, as she tries to save her prince from Marjoly, a rather flamboyant, to say the least, witch. RPGFan has quite a few pieces of fan art for the game, which are positively stunning. Click the picture above to link to their fan art and enjoy it as much as I did. Look below to see a recreation of one of the funniest moments in the game, beware of spoilers! (this happens within the first hour of gameplay!)

~Joanna

Game Review: Mario Kart DS

Basic Information:

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Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Racing
Difficulty: Fair
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Nov. 2005
Rating: E for Everyone
Retail Price: $34.99 US ($44.99 CAN)


What It's About:

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You race as one of the many characters from the mario and donkey kong franchises. There are four different difficultly setting, each with the same tracks, but different opponents. Successfully completing a difficulty level unlocks the next level and either an additional character or additional carts. There is also a puzzle mode and a battle mode.

Gameplay:

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Mario Kart is in essence, a racer, but it adds a lot to the basic racing formula that attracts a lot of other gamers. The powerups and the drifting add a unpredictable and strategic edge to an otherwise standard racing game. The basic gist of gameplay is the usual: you choose a character from the mario universe (plus donkey kong, who was originally a part of the mario universe, but began his own franchise early in nintendo's history) and race against other mario characters in a variety of courses that are modeled after levels or worlds from a variety of mario games. In essence, it's a love letter from nintendo to mario fans in racing form.Each character and cart have different strengths and weaknesses, so it is ultimately the player's style and preference that determines who they will race as. But cart capacities are not the only things that will effect your chances for victory. Drifting and powerups play just as crucial a role, if not more, and make Mario Kart DS (and the franchise in general), more about luck and strategy then other racing games, which, in my opinion is a welcome refreshment.

Powerups come in the form of boxes found on the racing tracks that the player and his opponents must drive through. Once a player drives through a box, a random powerup will appear in the player's top left corner of the top screen, and these powerups range from slightly useful to broken (see screenshot). However, the game is well balanced, and your more likely to get the infinitely more useful "bullet" powerup the further behind your opponents you are, and likewise, the person in first place, is more likely to get a banana and the occasional green shell, rather then other more powerful powerups. So although it is random, the powerups have probability rates that correspond to your place in the race. This also brings in an aspect of strategy, as your forced to ponder when it will be the most beneficial to use your powerup. Likewise, the drifting although it slows you down a bit, gives you a noticeable boost in speed once completed. But unlike powerups, drifting is more about learning to press the buttons at the right time, and less about strategy and luck.

The races turn into real slug fights as you and your opponents throw different powerups at each other. And this makes Mario Kart DS (and the franchise) a lot more fun then your standard racer. Gameplay is easy to grasp, but a little more difficult to master.

Story & Characters:

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Mario Kart DS does not have a story, because, it really doesn't need one. It's about racing and the game does that well. As for characters, the game relies solely on the player being familiar with the characters through their other franchises. Even if you are not familiar with the other mario games, not to worry, this in no way effects your ability to play Mario Kart DS. As I've said, this game is more like a love letter from Nintendo to Mario fans, but the game can be easily picked up and played by anyone.

Art & Graphics:

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Being a first party game, Mario Kart DS looks fantastic, even 3 years after its initial release. It is one of the better 3-D games on the DS. The environments look crisp and distinct, as do the characters and their carts. No two carts look the same, and Mario Kart DS gives you quite a bit of variety with kart designs. As stated before, all levels are inspired from different mario games, and all characters have at one point or another been found within a mario game. There is nothing new to be found for the Mario bluffs, but the level designs are very clever and pretty. Rainbow Road, in particular, was aesthetically pleasing, but also kept racers on the edge of their seats with its increased difficulty level (compared to other tracks); because, if you fell off, it cost you a few positions.

The boxart is also nice, its simple and it expresses exactly what the game is about: Mario and karts. Mario's pose is also quite amusing, and it shows that the game doesn't take itself too seriously. Of course it isn't the most creative and eye-popping boxart out there, but sometimes simpler is better.

Music & Sound

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Being a racing game, Mario Kart DS doesn't feature any elaborate musical compositions, most tracks are very simple, but fit very well with the theme of the level (most likely because they originate from the level the tracks are based on). Not being a Mario bluff, I can recognize only a few of the tunes, and most of them do correspond roughly to the same level/game the tracks are based on. For example the "N64 Banshee Boardwalk" racing track plays the Boo tune from Super Mario World (please correct me if I'm mistaken, I haven't played the old mario games since I was a little girl ^^;;). But regardless if the music tracks are remixes of old tunes or entirely new, the music captures the "mario" feel very well. Every time I hear a tune, I remember the old mario games, and that is what is important in a game that was made for fans of the mario franchise. Below is a favourite tune of mine from the game: Airship Fortress (which is also a favourite racing track of mine ^^)

Multiplayer:

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Ah, multiplayer, this is the heart of Mario Kart DS; it is playing with your friends that makes the game so much fun. With up to 7 friends racing against you in local wireless, the amount of surprises and turnarounds will be plentiful. You may even be shocked to find a friend of yours winning a few races by pure luck, or some friends ganging up on you will their powerups. The possiblities are endless, and you only need one copy of the game for all to enjoy. However, all those who do not have a copy will be racing as Shy Guys, while the game owner will get to choose his character and kart like normal. This does give an advantage to the owner, but with Mario Kart DS being so unpredictable and fun, you'll quickly realize that this doesn't really matter in the end. Wi-Fi matches work much the same, except everyone racing has the game, which levels the play field, assuming all players have unlocked all carts and characters, and are not using a cheating device.

My Thoughts & Recommendations:

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If there is one racing game that you should buy for your DS, it is Mario Kart DS. The game is so much more then a racer, it has fun tracks, unpredictable races, funky mario characters, but most of all, an exciting and robust multiplayer option. As someone who doesn't enjoy racing games, I can recommend this to anyone, as long as they are able to use the multiplayer feature. If you don't have someone to play with, Mario Kart DS may still be worth your money, but you will be missing out on half of the fun. Mario Kart DS is also a good game to play on the go, because you can finish a single cup in under 3o minutes.

As for us ladies, Mario Kart DS is also a worthwhile game, even through there are only two playable female characters (one is unlockable, the other is available form the beginning). Any ladies out there that are fans of the mario franchise will quickly fall in love with this game too, as will non-fans who are looking for a light and fun racer. But most of all, anyone who likes to play against their friends will find Mario Kart DS inseparable. It has one of the best and most robust multiplayer options out there. Ladies, call all your girlfriends and start the slug (or cat, if you prefer) fight!

Scoring

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Gameplay -	10/10
Story -	N/A
Characters -	N/A
Graphics -	10/10
Art -	8/10
Box Art -	7/10
Music -	7/10
Sound -	8/10
Multiplayer -	10/10
Female Factor -	5/10
Fun Factor -	10/10
Replay Value -	10/10

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OVERALL - 9/10

~Joanna

Game Review: Hotel Dusk: Room 215

Basic Information:

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Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Adventure
Difficulty: Fair
Developer: Cing
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Jan. 2007
Rating: T for Teen
Retail Price: $ 29.99 US ($ 34.99 CAN)


What it's About:

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You play as Kyle Hyde, an ex-officer turned salesman, who still seeks closure to the events that happened prior to the beginning of the game involving his old partner Bradley. When Hyde arrives at Hotel Dusk, he meets a young mute girl, who wears the same bracelet as his partner, and it seems that she isn't the only unusual thing or person within the hotel with some strange connection to Bradley. Now it's up to you to guide Hyde as he unravels the mysteries in one long night at the hotel and finally reveals the truth behind Bradley's betrayal.

Gameplay:

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A mixture of unique and traditional sums up the basic feel of Hotel Dusk's gameplay. Being an adventure game, Hotel Dusk keeps the traditional aspects of the genre in tact, yet it places them in a unique perspective through the use of the DS and it's two screens. You hold your DS like a book, and both screens show you, your current environment, but each screens shows a different perspective. The touch screen gives you a very visually basic view of the layout of the room you are currently inside, while the other screen shows you a nice 3D rendition of the room as Hyde would see it, if he were looking at it. These two perspectives work very well, because the player is able to experience Hotel Dusk as if they were really looking at it, while the second screen allows the player to view the layout of the whole room without having to move around too much (and solves the often problematic issue of camera zoom and rotation on the DS).

Another interesting facet of Hotel Dusk is the story book approach to the gameplay, not only is this appropriate for this genre, but it also distinguishes Hotel Dusk from the other adventure games on the DS. And unlike Cing's other adventure game (also on the DS), Hotel Dusk packs enough play time to satisfy most of us; with more puzzles and characters, the game could take any where from 15 to 30 hours to complete, depending on how fast you are and if you decide to partake in the additional side quest. Sure, it doesn't hit the typical 40ish hour mark for DS games, but for an adventure game, it's pretty long.

Hotel Dusk also doesn't try to be cryptic about your next step, or make a puzzle impossible in order to prolong its length. Everything is crystal clear and the majority of the time, you will have a clear idea of what to do next or who to talk to. Even if you are not too sure, you will have enough information to know where to go more or less, and in the rare occasion that you have no idea; the hotel isn't too large and the game marks interactable object very well ( if you can interact with an object, the magnifying glass button will flash), so you won't be tapping aimlessly, hoping to trigger something. The puzzles range from very simple to thoughtful, but are never so difficult that you have to consult a walkthrough. Overall, the game has a very fair difficulty rating, and its gameplay is very intuitive and won't leave you frustrated.

Story & Characters:

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Being an adventure game, the story, and to a certain extent even the characters, are its lifeline. If an adventure game has a boring or uninspired story, and/or annoying and horrible characters, the game won't be enjoyable. Thankfully, Hotel Dusk has a very well written story, and interesting and varied characters. The plot of the game will keep you guessing, and until the final moments of the game, you won't be sure of all the connections between the characters (well at least I wasn't ^^) The characters are also varied and have interesting stories that all connect somehow (even if indirectly) to Bradley and what happened to him. Hotel Dusk did what every good adventure game does, it kept me addicted to the story, so much so, that I wanted to solve all the mysteries that tied the characters together, learn what happened in the past, and discover what lies in store for the main characters. And I wasn't disappointed, the ending was very nice, and even brought a tear to my eye.

As a side note, Hyde is an interesting character, and I liked his hard-boiled cop attitude, cliche through it was. Mila, starts out rather cliche too, but I found myself more sympathetic towards her as the game progressed. And Louie always put a smile on my face. The unique setting, California- 1979, also distinguishes Hotel Dusk from other adventure games.

Art & Graphics

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Both the art and the graphics fit very well with the story and approach of the game. The character portraits, in particular, fit the story book feel of the game. The character portraits, seen to the left, are monochromatic sketches that come to life within the game; as a character talks, they move and show emotion based on the topic of discussion. It fits very well, and makes Hotel Dusk seem more like a novel then a game.

The 3D rendition of what Hyde sees on the left screen is not the best 3D to date on the DS and it does have a slight fuzziness to it, but it is still done rather nicely and only adds to the game's experience. This is mainly due to the fact that the left screen sole purpose is a cosmetic one, it is rarely involved in the actual gameplay, and hence there are no camera issue, or clarity issues. You don't even have to look at the left screen if you so choose, but I wouldn't recommend it, since the left screen brings the hotel to life, and enriches your game experience.

The right screen is very bare when compared to the left screen during the exploration sessions. It shows the layout of the room Hyde is currently in, and does it at the bare minimum. It basically looks like a rough drawing of the floor plan, and although it pales in comparison to the 3D depictions on the left screen, it is charming in its own way. Although graphically, it isn't spectacular, the right screen is very practical; it makes the gameplay less frustrating and more intuitive, and for these reasons, it's lack of graphical 'umph', are easily forgivable.

There is one thing that I don't like through, the box art, it's pretty ugly, especially when you compare it to the Japanese box art. Mila looks like a ghost and Hyde like the typical emo hero found in a few RPGs. Thankfully the box art is deceptive, and the game is a lot better then the front cover makes it out to be. As the popular expression goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover". But, seriously, why oh why, could they not have used the simpler and better Japanese cover. A mystery that I will never understand!

Music & Sound

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Hotel Dusk has a varied array of musical tracks, some are mediocre, but most are very nice and memorable. You might even find yourself listening to them on the game's jukebox, or maybe even online. Some that I enjoyed included: Midnight, The Long Night, Violet Sky, Rainy Night, Silent Moon, On the Rocks, and Amber Sunset. The game's music fits the setting very well; the majority of the tunes sound like they are from a 5 cent jukebox, and I mean this as a compliment. Sure the tunes aren't orchestral and majestic, but they fit the setting of the game very well, and that is what most musical scores in games attempt to do (and should do). The sound is also good, although the game doesn't have too many sound effects, but the ones that it does have, are well done. Below is a sample of "Rainy Night", one of my favourite tracks from the game =)

Multiplayer:

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Hotel Dusk does not support any multiplayer modes, which is not surprising, since it is an adventure game.

My Thoughts & Recommendations

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If your curious about the adventure genre, and want to give it a try, Hotel Dusk would be one of the best games to start out with. It has the incredible story-telling that this genre is known for, without some of its less appealing aspects (most notably the clicking-or touching in this case- of everything in sight in an attempt to trigger the story along). Just remember, Hotel Dusk has a lot of dialogue, in fact, the majority of the game involves talking to different guests at the hotel, in order to squeeze some information out of them. If you happen to be someone who abhors lengthy dialogue, then adventure gaming is probably not the genre for you. If you are just not fond of it, then Hotel Dusk might still be worth your time, as long as you can enjoy a good detective story. As for myself, I quite enjoy lengthy dialogue, so Hotel Dusk was one pleasant ride.

Other then the genre's quirks, there is nothing in Hotel Dusk that can ruin the experience for you. Both the music and presentation are done well, and the gameplay is simple and easy to grasp. Just a small warning, this game might be a little challenging for young children, so I don't recommend buying it for the little ones (not that you should in the first place, since the game has a T rating ;] ) Not only does the game ask for a higher level of concentration and information retention, it also has a few challenging (but not impossible) puzzles that children will not be able to appreciate. If you happen to have a younger child or sibling, I recommend waiting a while before introducing them to the adventure genre, unless you are willing to hold their hand and help them with the more difficult puzzles and reminding them of all the story details (chapter endings have quizzes that ask questions about the plot and characters, so you need to pay attention). But even then, Hotel Dusk really isn't a story for the younger ones, and I would recommend Cing's other adventure game, Trace Memory, which is a bit easier and a lot shorter, for younger children, if you really wish to introduce them to this genre. It's the better option, because it does not ask for as much from the player as Hotel Dusk does, but that does not mean Trace Memory is easy, it has its fill of challenging puzzles. It is just shorter and doesn't have a large cast, so it does not require the same degree of retention as Hotel Dusk.

With all that said, I wholeheartedly recommend Hotel Dusk: Room 215 to any DS owner, especially since the resurrection of adventure gaming has only been made possible by the DS. As for us females, Dusk isn't particularly aimed at us, but as long as your a girl or woman who doesn't mind lengthy dialogue, and can enjoy a traditional and well written detective story, then I also recommend Hotel Dusk to you. The exclusion of a playable female character is acceptable here, since adventure games are like stories and each story can only have a single protagonist, in this case, it happens to be a man named Kyle Hyde. What is rather irritating through, are the games where a playable female character could have been added, but wasn't.

Scoring

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Gameplay -	9/10
Story -	10/10
Characters -	9/10
Graphics -	8/10
Art -	9/10
Box Art -	3/10
Music -	8/10
Sound -	7/10
Multiplayer -	N/A
Female Factor -	N/A
Fun Factor -	8/10
Replay Value -	6/10

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OVERALL - 8/10

~Joanna

More Rambling About My DS

Added Yet Another Game to my Extensive DS Collection

I caved in; I bought another game recently, but it's not FFIV. Instead I got Apollo Justice, an adventure game that I've been meaning to pick up. I was a little worried that I wouldn't enjoy the game as much as the Phoenix Wright trilogy, but the game has so many mysteries surrounding Phoenix that it's compelling me to play just as much as its predecessors did before it.

Phoenix is also a prominent character in this game, as far as I have played (I'm on the second case). Although he isn't a attorney anymore, the biggest mysteries of the game surrounds him, and he acts as a mentor to the younger Apollo. I also like Phoenix's more relaxed and cryptic personality in this game. For anyone who liked the younger Phoenix, not to worry, Apollo is an almost identical version of a younger Phoenix, while Trucy is a lot like Maya. So the duo is back, just not as you expected!

The actual gameplay has remained pretty much the same, but instead of using Maya's magatama to reveal a character's secrets during the detective section of the game, Apollo comes with his own ability to perceive the nervous habits of witnesses during the court section of the game. As far as I have played, I have only used it once; it is also a pretty interesting addition. The game itself is also a lot longer, the first case, which is a tutorial, took as much time to finish as a regular case (expect without the detective section). The second case also had you playing detective even before you've met your client, while the previous games automatically set the next 'murder' case up.

There was one thing that I was disappointed in, the censorship! The first case involved a certain bottle, which was the murder weapon, and this bottle was clearly, no matter how you looked at it, a wine bottle, but Capcom stubbornly calls it grape juice!! Come on Capcom! AP deals with murder and it already has a T rating, so I doubt calling the bottle a wine bottle would effect the rating of this game *sigh*

Other then the censorship, AP is an enjoyable game so far. I am so very curious as to what happened to Phoenix and the relationships between the different characters. Just call me addicted =)

Still Progressing Through FFTA2

I've made more progress through FFTA2, and my total for completed missions is now up to 150. I also had a run in with Montblanc from FFTA, which resembled very much the way Montblanc met Marche. Sadly, I haven't been given the option of recruiting him yet! But it's nice that the developers included little extras like these for fans who have played the other game(s). I wonder when I will meet up with Montblanc again.....The next story mission also involves Van and Penelo from FFXII (I can tell by the title), so I'm left wondering if I will be able to recruit them after this mission (let's hope so!!).

September & the Rest of 2008 are Busy Months for RPG lovers like Me

So many games, so little time (and money T___T). Although august is a little dry for RPG (and strategy) fanatics like me, september is definitely picking up the slack with the release of Dragon Quest IV, Disgaea DS, Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, Black Sigil and Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise. But that doesn't mean the other months will be bare, the rest of 2008 is just as jam packed with the release of A Witch's Tale, Luminous Arc 2, Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood, Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, Master of the Monster Lair, and Chrono Trigger DS. Now the question is where I'm going to get the money for all these awesome games.....

Edit: Time Hollow, an adventure game, has been moved down from August to September, so that's one more title for September that I have to pick up ^^;;. I also forgot to mention Away: Shuffle Dungeon, an Action RPG, coming out around October-November-ish. And Rune Factory 2, part farming simulation, part action RPG, shipping out sometime in October. There is also Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, but that would be stretching things, since it's more of a platformer with RPG elements, then an RPG. The end of 2008 just got a lot busier!!

~Joanna