Friday night, and I stayed at home playing video games.
I am truly living it up! WHOO!
I really got nothing to say....so....uh....game review. I don't know...I really got nothing else to talk about and haven't done one in a long time, so why not. I could do the last two portable games I got.
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Advance Wars Dual Strike (DS):
Too long has my DS been with only Feel the Magic and Meteos. I needed something else to keep the system from being too bare in the software department. It was either this or Nintendogs. Well, I don't need a dog simulator since I have a real dog *cough*pluswesoldouttoday*cough*, so a nice strategy game might fit the bill.
Graphics and sound: Weren't that impressive. If you played the GBA versions, that is pretty much what you get. DS definitely has shown better in these fields before...so kinda disapointing. As for use of the dual screens, very fucking clever I say. Top screen will give info on units, the terrain, or it will act as a second battlefield (for those high aerial battles) or timer for other missions (like if a missle is coming toward you).
Control: You can either use the touch screen (which is faster), or the pad and buttons. The pad and buttons can get uncomfortable (thanks to the DS's shape) and the touch screen is not always that accurate (might just be my stylus, but I have been picking the wrong actions too many times...even after adjusting the touch screen caliberation). But all in all, the touch screen issue hasn't effected me in fully causing me to lose a batte...so I shouldn't fully complain yet.
Gameplay: It is Advance Wars. Cute cartoony characters...really hard and deep strategy gameplay. Much harder than your Final Fantasy Tactics or your Fire Emblems. But just as fun. And the challenge is there to keep you busy. Only issue is that some of the battles might be too long for your standard portable gameplay. There is a save feature during battles, but for me, I lose my train of thought easily and that would pretty much mess me up.
Overall: Graphics and sound issues are miminal, the controls might only be in my case and haven't fully killed me yet, and I really don't bring my DS out of my house too much as it is, so the issues don't effect me all that much. It is the best DS game I played (yes...better than Meteos) and a great addition to the line up that seems to be mostly filled with some poor racers, mini game games, a bunch of tech demos that were passed off as games (and I looking at you Pac Pix and Pokemon Dash!!!) and various other assortments I probably would never buy, this was a major relief. Easily worth the money.
Hot Shots Golf: Tee Off! (PSP):
Yeah, I know...it is a golf game. I particularly like this genre (or sports games for that matter), but after hearing some positive things, I though it was worth a shot.
Graphics and Sound: Graphically....well. It pretty much looks like a standard golf game....ANIME-NIZED! Which means very cute characters. The animation is nice though and is fitting for the art style. The courses look nice themselves...but is it sad that when I see that I could some better UV Texturing maps for the mountains...I mean come on....this isn't the PSX and N64 era anymore. When textures aren't done well...it is noticable. As for the sounds for the characters I heard, all the females (except for one caddy who sounds like Chucky from Rugrats) are tolerable. The male character (Rio) is annoying and the caddy that sounds like Chucky nearly drove me nuts. The rest of the sounds effects are the standard sounds you expect from the genre...and music is fun and cartoony, so it fits the game.
Control: Pretty easy to pick up this game and play. Then again, Golf games probably are....I really don't know. This is the only recent golf game I played...and it seems to play like the NES original Golf...only more advanced.
Gameplay: Golf is a very boring thing to me. Seeing on TV is dull. I tried playing it and the fact I went 8 on a par 3 pretty much made me give up hope on the sport in all. So...I really wasn't expecting too much when I picked this game up. Good thing too as I found the game to be really enjoyable. I collected all items on the first game setting and started the next ranking. It wasn't too hard to pick up or learn. It gives you a lot to do. And (most importantly for a portable), it fits for what I need. I can get about 2-3 matches done on my hour commute to the city. Plus, there is a lot to do in it, so I don't have to worry about it wearing on me so fast.
Overall: A great game to pick and play for a bit...even if you don't care for golf. It was a pleasant suprise for me and got a lot more legal *cough*NESemulators* gameplay use out of my PSP. Don't judge this on the genre or the look. It is a great buy.
**************
Well, to the gamers, there you go. Two interesting titles.
Here is hoping I will have something to actually discuss for next time.
I am truly living it up! WHOO!
I really got nothing to say....so....uh....game review. I don't know...I really got nothing else to talk about and haven't done one in a long time, so why not. I could do the last two portable games I got.
***************
Advance Wars Dual Strike (DS):
Too long has my DS been with only Feel the Magic and Meteos. I needed something else to keep the system from being too bare in the software department. It was either this or Nintendogs. Well, I don't need a dog simulator since I have a real dog *cough*pluswesoldouttoday*cough*, so a nice strategy game might fit the bill.
Graphics and sound: Weren't that impressive. If you played the GBA versions, that is pretty much what you get. DS definitely has shown better in these fields before...so kinda disapointing. As for use of the dual screens, very fucking clever I say. Top screen will give info on units, the terrain, or it will act as a second battlefield (for those high aerial battles) or timer for other missions (like if a missle is coming toward you).
Control: You can either use the touch screen (which is faster), or the pad and buttons. The pad and buttons can get uncomfortable (thanks to the DS's shape) and the touch screen is not always that accurate (might just be my stylus, but I have been picking the wrong actions too many times...even after adjusting the touch screen caliberation). But all in all, the touch screen issue hasn't effected me in fully causing me to lose a batte...so I shouldn't fully complain yet.
Gameplay: It is Advance Wars. Cute cartoony characters...really hard and deep strategy gameplay. Much harder than your Final Fantasy Tactics or your Fire Emblems. But just as fun. And the challenge is there to keep you busy. Only issue is that some of the battles might be too long for your standard portable gameplay. There is a save feature during battles, but for me, I lose my train of thought easily and that would pretty much mess me up.
Overall: Graphics and sound issues are miminal, the controls might only be in my case and haven't fully killed me yet, and I really don't bring my DS out of my house too much as it is, so the issues don't effect me all that much. It is the best DS game I played (yes...better than Meteos) and a great addition to the line up that seems to be mostly filled with some poor racers, mini game games, a bunch of tech demos that were passed off as games (and I looking at you Pac Pix and Pokemon Dash!!!) and various other assortments I probably would never buy, this was a major relief. Easily worth the money.
Hot Shots Golf: Tee Off! (PSP):
Yeah, I know...it is a golf game. I particularly like this genre (or sports games for that matter), but after hearing some positive things, I though it was worth a shot.
Graphics and Sound: Graphically....well. It pretty much looks like a standard golf game....ANIME-NIZED! Which means very cute characters. The animation is nice though and is fitting for the art style. The courses look nice themselves...but is it sad that when I see that I could some better UV Texturing maps for the mountains...I mean come on....this isn't the PSX and N64 era anymore. When textures aren't done well...it is noticable. As for the sounds for the characters I heard, all the females (except for one caddy who sounds like Chucky from Rugrats) are tolerable. The male character (Rio) is annoying and the caddy that sounds like Chucky nearly drove me nuts. The rest of the sounds effects are the standard sounds you expect from the genre...and music is fun and cartoony, so it fits the game.
Control: Pretty easy to pick up this game and play. Then again, Golf games probably are....I really don't know. This is the only recent golf game I played...and it seems to play like the NES original Golf...only more advanced.
Gameplay: Golf is a very boring thing to me. Seeing on TV is dull. I tried playing it and the fact I went 8 on a par 3 pretty much made me give up hope on the sport in all. So...I really wasn't expecting too much when I picked this game up. Good thing too as I found the game to be really enjoyable. I collected all items on the first game setting and started the next ranking. It wasn't too hard to pick up or learn. It gives you a lot to do. And (most importantly for a portable), it fits for what I need. I can get about 2-3 matches done on my hour commute to the city. Plus, there is a lot to do in it, so I don't have to worry about it wearing on me so fast.
Overall: A great game to pick and play for a bit...even if you don't care for golf. It was a pleasant suprise for me and got a lot more legal *cough*NESemulators* gameplay use out of my PSP. Don't judge this on the genre or the look. It is a great buy.
**************
Well, to the gamers, there you go. Two interesting titles.
Here is hoping I will have something to actually discuss for next time.
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
WAIT! You have a DS and you aren't playing Nintendogs?! TERRORIST!
I'm killer at tetris, though.