My Gaming Freebies and Merchandise

I've been really lazy about keeping up to date with all my nice pre-order bonus or freebies, so this post is basically a show case of all my game-related merchandise that I haven't gotten around to showing up till now. It's nothing fancy, mostly freebies and a few minor things that I've actually bought.

Club Nintendo 2009 Gold Member Award: Calendar

This is the calendar I got in December 2009 for reaching Gold status on Club Nintendo. These pictures were taken a while back and I've been meaning to upload them onto this blog...but I just never got around to it. Basically it's a little stand with cards that feature a Nintendo franchise and a calendar at the bottom. You switch the cards every month. If you flip the card over, you can see a calendar layout (bottom right - February) for each month. I usually just leave the one with the picture out since it looks nicer. As an additional bonus, Nintendo also gave me a mini mario calendar (top right).

Mario Candy Cases

One of the few game-related things I've actually bought. These two are separate candy cases. The mushroom case has little cherry sours shaped as mushrooms inside, while the Question Block case has little coin candies inside. Both are pretty neat and I bought both on whim. Club Nintendo calendar in the background for added effect! xD

SoulSilver Preorder Bonus: Lugia Figurine

The pre-order bonus for SoulSilver. I love the angle of the shot. It actually took me a while to get a decent angle because Lugia's neck is a bit too curved and it's hard to see the whole figurine from a side view. The figurine isn't the best quality, but it was free so I can't complain.

Dragon Quest IX GameStop Event: DQIX Pamphlet

This doesn't seem worthwhile to even mention, but I was actually surprised by the quality of this pamphlet. The cover is dusty, with the title being glossy. Inside has nice art and is very colourful. Being so well made, I could not resist taking this with me and showing it off on the blog.

Dragon Quest IX GameStop Event Prize: Slime Shirt

The second prize at the GameStop DQIX event. There were four of them and I was lucky enough to win one. I wear it with pride! =D As a side note, this event made my brother want his own copy of DQIX! One more convert!! >:)

~Joanna

Pumpkin Craving: Halloween 2009

As I did last year, this Halloween I also craved a game-based pumpkin. The picture is a little blurry, but I'm interested if anyone can guess what the craving is suppose to be of. Not to worry, it is not suppose to be obscure, even people who do not play games may recognize what I craved....or at least that is the hope that I am entertaining. ^^;;; I'll put up an answer in a few days, till then I'm interested in what people say about it.

Maybe I was a bit too optimistic. no one responded. ^^;;;;;;
Anyways, the answer is Haunter, pokemon number 93.

~Joanna

Redeemed my Club Nintendo Points!

I happened to redeem my club nintendo points a few months ago, but just got around to posting about it now. I decided to go with the animal crossing cards because I needed some play cards and the point amount was not too extreme.

Free shipping and handling was really nice on nintendo's part, and I am very satisfied with these cards. Now I can play Crazy 8s in style. hehe.

ps - I made it to gold status, so I'll be getting a nifty 2010 calendar :D

~Joanna

Nintendo DSi keychain

When at Best Buy soon after the launch of the DSi, I was approached by a Nintendo employee who showed me and my brother the new DSi features. They weren't that bad, and the picture function looked like it could be a bit of fun. However, the two colors (black and blue) really are not my colors, so I'll probably hold out on buying one. The lady gave both me and my brother a keychain (pictured) that has the the functions of the new DSi. It's always nice getting free things :D

Oh yes, before I forget, I'm interested in very pale, pastel colors (preferably lavender, but I'll take pink, green, and blue as well) ^____________^ To give an example, I want my colors to be as pale as the current Coral Pink DS Lite.

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

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

Pumpkin Carving: The Results

The first picture is a little blurry, but I thought it looked pretty. The second picture has better resolution =)

If I do say so myself, I think the King Boo carving turned out rather nice. I'm quite proud of it. Next year I might tackle something harder, like a Prinny.lol. And because this pumpkin was pretty tiny (relative to normal pumpkins), the carving was a bit more challenging; one cut too far or deep and the whole carving would be ruined. So yes I am rather proud ^^

~Joanna

Pumpkin Carving meets Nerdy Hobbies

What better way to show my nerdiness this Halloween then to carve a Nintendo Themed Pumpkin. And what better Nintendo character to carve then King Boo. He's from Mario AND he is a ghost! Two birds, one stone! I could go for something more obscure and more difficult. But as this is my first attempt at a video game character; I thought it should be from an easily recognizable franchise and something relatively simple.

Check in tomorrow morning for a post on the final product. I could post it up tonight, but chances are I won't have the time, since I am the one who accompanies my little brother on his trick-or-treating.

No anime/manga/game related costumes. I'm not too good at sewing and it's a rather larger commitment then pumpkin carving. Maybe one of these years......

~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

Game Review: Magical Starsign

Basic Information:

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Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: RPG
Difficulty: Easy
Developer: Brownie Brown
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Oct. 2006
Rating: E for everyone
Retail Price: $ 29.99 US ($ 34.99 CAN)


What it's About:

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You play as a student from a magical academy, whose teacher has recently gone missing. One of your classmates gets it into her head that you need to go searching for your teacher, so you follow after her on your own one-person space ships and crash land on another planet. As you go from planet to planet, you happen upon your other classmates who also followed after you and the other student.

Gameplay:

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Descent, is the best word for the gameplay in Magical Starsign. It mixes up the typical RPG gameplay a bit, but its nothing revolutionary. The extra magic boost based on the movement of the planets is a nice touch and adds an extra layer of strategy. While tapping on a character at the right time to perform a critical hit, keeps me focused on the game during parts I would normally not pay too much attention towards. The magic centered combat is also an unexpected twist that gives the gameplay a more unique feel, setting it apart from other RPGs. Other then these few twists, Magical Starsign stays true to the classic RPG formula for better or for worse, with turn based battles and random encounters. I for one, do not think this is a bad thing, since it was one of the first RPGs available on the DS and I really do enjoy classic RPG gameplay, especially if it spices things up a bit like Magical Starsign did.

Another unique aspect of the gameplay was traveling between different planets, and often times coming back later to a previous planet to explore a newly unlocked area. Many people complained about the back tracking, but I for one enjoyed revisiting the older areas, mainly because the planets themselves were relatively tiny when compared to console RPGs and their areas, so back tracking was not as painful as it could have been. The warp points on the planets also alleviate much of the pain involved with backtracking, and are generally a nice helping hand to players new to RPGs.

The game is almost exclusively played using the touch screen, and sadly, this isn't a good thing. At first its new and exciting, but it gets old soon, and I was eventually frustrated that I couldn't use the buttons for NPC interactions and battles. The only interactive part in battles is tapping characters to pull off critical hits, the rest could have easily been done with the control pad. The touch screen controls feel rigid and pushed onto the player, it would have been better if the option to use either the touch screen or the buttons were given to the player.

Story & Characters

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Unlike gameplay, I don't like old reused stories, mainly because older stories were all about saving princesses (think NES and early SNES era). For an RPG, the story is one of its most important aspects, especially if the gameplay isn't something incredibility addicting or revolutionary. The story can literary make or break a solid RPG, and in the case of Magical Starsign, it ruins the experience. That is not to say the story is bad, rather it is shallow; the whole story is about saving your teacher and the solar system from an evil wizard, and nothing more. It's bland and even the character interactions that try to develop the character's personalities are terrible. I remember very well that the Water user, Sorbet I believe her name was, had an especially melodramatic take on her problems, and instead of feeling sympathy for her, I just wanted her to grow up. Also, the game's attempt at off the wall craziness is also a hit and miss situation and with which I have mixed feelings. I admit, some things are just plain weird, like the gummy eating robots, but certain things like the funky and corrupt space police are pretty entertaining. The story and characters of Magical Starsign are definitely the game's weakest area, and its bizarre settings, enemies and NPCs cannot undo the lack of a more engaging story and set of characters.

Art & Graphics

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The graphics are nice, but not superb; bright and vibrant, they will easily catch your attention. The top screen's world map is especially lovely and detailed. The lower screen's overworld isn't as detailed, but it is still vibrant and pretty. Some worlds fair better graphically then others, the Wood world in particular was very vibrant and lush. The overworld sprites have a squished look to them, but are charming nonetheless, and fit the feel of the game well. Furthermore, each world is very unique and has its own set of inhabitants. For example, the Water Planet features not only humans but also humanoid beavers. While the Fire Planet features talking pots, yes you heard me, talking pots! There are also a varied set of character sprites and portraits for each species, a very nice touch.

The battles are just as good visually as the overworld; with bright and vibrant enemies and spell effects. The perspective of the battles is also somewhat unique, having a somewhat slanted perspective; not fully behind the characters, but also not in front of them either; a 3/4 perspective, if I may so call it. The enemy designs are also very varied and wacky, which earns them much love from me. As I stated before, the spells are very bright and vibrant, often featuring neon colors. They are fairly complex, and nice to look at, just don't expect Final Fantasy standards, they are nothing that complicated. The battles also utilize both screens with magical spells often taking up both screens when cast. Some bosses also extend to both screens, which is fairly cool (see the first screen shot to see what I mean). The only issue I have with the battle graphics is the zoom that usually takes place when an action is performed. Whenever someone takes an action involving a spell, the camera zooms in on them and it doesn't look pretty. You can basically see the pixels, and the sprites and spells look a lot less sharper and less pretty then they do without the zoom.

Now the worst part of the graphics and art is most definitely the character portraits which look horrendous. Lassi in particular, has a really horrible portrait, which makes her look like a red eyed rabbit with rabies; yes it is that bad. The female heroine also fares pretty badly; in fact she looks down right strange, like a mutated human with glowing purple eyes. It's not too much of a problem, but I wish the character designs were different, with a far more cuter approach that results in less deranged character portraits.

The game also features a 3D rocket sequence when you fly from one planet to another. It's a nice addition, except that the 3D graphics look a bit grainy. Since this is one of the earliest attempts with 3D on the DS, I'm a little more understanding. But most importantly, it is not really that much of a problem since the 3D sequences are brief and only occur when you travel between planets.

Finally, the box art is also very nice, and it fits the feel of the game well. This cover is also one of the few that doesn't pale in comparison with the original Japanese cover, both covers are nice.


Music & Sound

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There is nothing exceptional about the music or the sound in the game. There are a few nice tunes, but the majority are mediocre. The Wood Planet's tune in particular is relatively nice, while the main menu's tune is very plain and irritating. The sound fares a little better, with a few battle yells and grunts from the characters to liven up battles. Each planet has its own tune, which refreshes things, and fighting against certain enemies (which are not bosses) also changes the battle music and mixes things up some more. Likewise, certain bosses get their own special boss music! Bottom line: The music helps with the mood of the game, but you won't be wanting to download any of its tracks and will most likely forget them right after you hear them. Here is a sample of the music from Magical Starsign: the Wood Planet's theme. As you can tell by this song (which is one of the better ones), the music is rather plain.

Multiplayer

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Magical Starsign supports Wi-Fi multiplayer, with two modes: Tag and Dungeon. The latter allows you to host or join a party and explore a dungeon from one of the planets in the game. You get a choice of three and you can set a time limit if you so wish. I am not sure what the former is about, since I haven't tried the multiplayer. But based on the premise, it seems decent enough. However, I am not too thrilled that it only supports Wi-Fi and not wireless multiplayer, since finding online companions can prove to be difficult, especially with games that have been on the shelf for quite some time already (which is the case with Starsign). It would have been nice if the game supported single cart wireless play, since I don't know anyone with this game, but this is asking a bit much from the genre, since RPGs are not the best genre for single cart wireless multiplayer options. The bottom line is, the multiplayer seems like a nice addition, but it should not be listed as a reason to purchase this game, rather it's more like a nice bonus (that is if you can find someone to play with....)

My Thoughts & Recommendations

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It's not a horrible game, but its not the best RPG on the system either. It does earns some brownie points (no pun intended) from me for giving the player the choice of both gender and magical alignment. Basically, at the beginning of the game, you choose your magical alignment, either Light or Dark; Light having more supportive spells and Dark more offensive ones. You also choose the gender of your character, and their name. And as far as I know, there is no difference between playing as a girl or a boy (hurray for no sexism!). Wikipedia does point out that each gender does however get a different bonus dialogue; the male hero has a bonus scene with Lassi where she expresses her affection for him, while the female heroine gets a bonus scene with Mokka and Principle Biscotti, where the former also expresses his (or is its?) affection for her, while the latter supposedly clearly states that he wants a romantic relationship, but I swear I don't remember any such dialogue with Biscotti (-____-). As for different bonus dialogues, I am perfectly fine with them, since both involve a confession of love, which does not change the story, nor the gameplay, in any drastic way. Now if the game was made easier by playing as a female, then I would be offended. For a female gamer, it's a nice addition, since the majority of the time I'm stuck playing as a boy. I'm pretty used to it now, but I do love when games spoil me with the choice; I'm a girl, so I enjoy playing as one =P.

Also, the outer space take on an RPG is really pure fun; the last time I played an RPG with an outer space or sci-fi theme was with Phantasy Star II and that was quite a while ago. The majority of RPGs place you in a single world with fantasy settings, so it is a refreshing change. It is also really delightful to explore new planets, each with its own element and inhabitants. It keeps me looking forward to exploring the next planet, because they are never the same. The spiced up battle system is a nice touch to this outer space traveling RPG and really establishes it as something that keeps with its RPG roots, yet gives the player a brand new experience.

With that said, the game is not without its flaws, namely the poor story, which is all about stopping an evil wizard from destroying the solar system and your teacher along with it. This aspect of the game is by far the biggest problem I have with it, I find the story boring and mediocre. Thankfully, exploring the Baklava solar system is entertaining enough to keep me playing. The music and sound are also on the lower side of the quality spectrum; often a simple tune will just loop continuously and get very annoying very quickly (main menu I'm looking at you)

The graphics, I find, are very nice, but I have to admit, that at first, I was very disappointed by them. This is entirely due to the fact that Magical Starsign was my first DS game, and I had big expectations, especially since I had seen a few screen shots of the then up coming Final Fantasy III DS. Once I got over my initial shock that the game was in 2-D and not 3-D, I grew to love the graphics. Sure, they don't exactly push the DS's capabilities, and it almost seems as if Magical Starsign is a GBA game with added 3-D rocket sequences, but nonetheless, the graphics are charming, and I am certain that anyone will enjoy them as long as they don't get their expectations as high as I did when I purchased the title.

Although, Magical Starsign is definitely not the best RPG on the system, it is also not the worst. Players new to the RPG genre should definitely give it a try, as it is a relatively easy RPG with intuitive controls, and an in-game battle tutorial. But more experienced players and especially those who enjoy RGPs should also give Magical Starsign a go, and although it is on the easier side of the difficulty spectrum, the game won't hold your hand for long and it gets progressively more difficult. The final planet in particular has regular enemies that are pretty strong and can pick off your party members if you don't watch their HP.


Conclusion:

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Pros:	Cons:
*Gender Choice *Unique battle system *Wacky enemy & race designs *Charming graphics and world *Space exploration	*Mostly dull music *Cliche plot *Weak character development *Some of the art/ designs for characters are ugly.

-overall a fun and cute game-

~Joanna