Games I Want To See For 3DS

Yes, I'm gone for long periods of time. I get it. But I've finally found something on my mind worth writing about. Ever since the announcement of the Wii U, I have been wondering on games I have wanted to see again. However, these games were not for Nintendo's newest console, but rather of list of games that could be pretty ideal for the current 3DS system. So here we go, my list of games that I would love to see come out for Nintendo's handheld (but in no particular order, I guess).

Metroid

Sure, Metroid has had some attention as of late with the Wii U (but not directly, as it's only based on it's world), but when are we gonna see Metroid go back to it's roots as a full 2D epic? Surely, there must be something Samus hasn't explored yet that can warrant a new game in this series. So come on, give us back some 2D Metroid so we can get back to what we loved.

Donkey Kong Country

Again, another game that has gotten recent treatment from the Wii. This time around, even a remake of the classic SNES games for 3D will be enough to make me smile. However, platformers with this level of challenge are hard to come around. Surely, there must be something we can explore with DK and his crew.

Mega Man

I cannot even begin to describe how much I want to see Mega Man return in some form (X Over doesn't count, Capcom). Heck, I will even accept Battle Network (my least favorite series) as your offering. Just give us something. Legends 3 was supposed to be that one thing that was gonna make us happy, but you had to pull the plug on that one! Perhaps another game in the ZX series? We all know Zero's story is done, so there's no way we can do that. But how about a game that shows the Elf Wars taking place sometime between the X and Zero series? Perhaps a return to the classic Mega Man? Anything!

Wish you were here, old friend.

Yugioh!

This one is a bit personal for me, as I do enjoy the annual releases of this game based on the popular card game. I've always enjoyed playing online with friends or random opponents, building different decks without having to worry about money, and just trying out new ideas. While many won't think twice about this game, it's something I would definitely wish to see come to the 3DS.

New Zelda Games

I know it's inevitable, but come on! A new Zelda title on the 3DS would be a winner. You can even make 3D remakes of classic games for all I care, just give us the goods. Simple as that.

Mario & Luigi

Those amazing RPG games featuring the most famous brothers have always been a treat. Fun stories, good battle mechanics, great characters, and Fawful! Bowser's Inside Story is still relatively new, so perhaps it's just a matter of time until we see this one as well.

Damn good game!

Grand Theft Auto

What? Didn't think I was gonna go there? We got another system that can handle a game like this now. So why not?

Dragonball Z Budokai Series

Another personal one, and it's mostly because Budokai 3 is one of my favorite fighting games of all time. Why not make one of these too? And don't make it Tenkaichi style, I mean the original Budokai games where it was just straight forward brawling.

And last but not least...

Earthbound!!!!!

Self explanatory. The mother (pun intended) of all bizarre stories, Earthbound has been one of those series many of us have been begging for. Who wouldn't want to see a modern take on the series? Their last game was way back in the GBA! So come on, Nintendo, give us some Earthbound. We want to see Ness or Lucas in more than just Smash Bros.

I want to see this most of all.

Game Review: Kingdom Hearts 3D

I didn't want to write this review so soon, but it seems I've got to now. I already finished the game, so I guess it's review time. But don't worry, dear reader. I won't spoil anything important for you. I know how annoying spoilers can be. So without further wait, let's get into my review of this game, shall we?

First off, this game's gimmick (because all the side-story games kind of have one) is that you are constantly switching between Riku and Sora as they embark on a journey to unlock the 7 Sleeping Keyholes and become keyblade masters. Pretty simple premise, right? Well, I've found that switching between both characters at times bugged me a bit, but over time I barely noticed. I began to strategize the timing of "Drops" between characters so they could become stronger.

The new worlds visited were quite fun and filled with the same intense action as always. But for some reason, I felt the game was rather short. After passing the 7 worlds (a bit quicker than expected), I quickly found myself in what I suspected was the final world of the game. After a bit of fighting, my suspicions were right. So in terms of longevity, it can be a bit short. However, there's plenty of things there to keep you busy, so don't be afraid to take your time with this game.

And finally, the point I wanted to get to: the story. For some reason, the story was just confusing me in terms to what the main plot was going to be once the villains started appearing (trying to avoid spoilers here). However, it wasn't until beating the final bosses that the whole story was just thrown at me in one swoop. Don't get me wrong, there are still aspects of the main story throughout the game, but the bigger picture isn't launched at you until the end. But when it hits, it hits hard. Suddenly, everything makes sense and you are left at the end with more anticipation (isn't this how all KH games end?).

As for my own thoughts on what might happen? Well, I might dedicate another blog post regarding game speculation (since that post might indeed contain spoilers). But for now, I can finish up saying that Kingdom Hearts 3D was a very enjoyable game (as are all) that will leave you coming back for more.

Who knows? I might start Proud Mode sometime soon.

Game Review: Pokemon Conquest

Yes, I'm back after nearly an eternity away. What happened? Well, vacations/graduation and tons of time at work have kept me from geeking out. However, now I'm back and it's time to get back into the general feel of things.

For today's order of business, I'm going to review Pokemon Conquest, a game I have wanted to review for quite a while but have gotten lazy enough to leave it for later. Anyways, time to proceed.

At first off, I saw this game and quickly wanted to get into it. And once I bought it, I was hooked. It's a basic premise. Build a good team of pokemon and battle your opponents. Each pokemon is only limited to one attack of it's attribute, so making teams at least had an interesting portion of strategy to it. The battles were fun and building a good team did take me a good chunk of time.

However, once the game was done, starting over new stories from scratch seemed a bit discouraging. Either way, it's a game with tons of stuff to do. My only complaint is that other kingdoms didn't try to invade me as much during the main campaign. That definitely would have helped a lot to make my teams a lot better for when I invaded a kingdom.

Having a lot of pokemon to choose from is always nice, but their evolution process works differently here. So of course, I had to rely on searching for outside info to try and get them going. And with the lack of stronger opponents to train against (wild pokemon/warriors sometimes aren't enough to get it done), I found myself grinding more often than invading.

Either way, Conquest was a fun game. However, not having an online versus mode (even if it's just via friend code, I don't care) would have kept me playing this more time. The campaign can be completed fairly quickly (about 20 hours I guess), and the other side-stories will keep you busy for a long time.

I don't know, I still felt the game lacked a certain something. But despite these minor flaws, Pokemon Conquest is a good game if you want to find something to pass the time with. Worth playing.

Marvel Civil War

Yeah, I know I'm a bit late for this. But who cares? I'm finally back into comics and I managed to get my hands on Civil War before starting Avengers.

For those who don't know, Civil War is a Marvel story arc that pits the super heroes of that very universe against each other. Why? Well, there's a particular incident that causes the heroes to take sides. One side would be in favor of serving as public service heroes, but would have to make their identities public as well since they will work for the community. The other team, were the heroes who wanted nothing to do with this initiative and remain independent and fight for their own reasons.

The end result? Massive chaos and dissension between the heroes of the Marvel universe.

This story arc was purely brilliant. You try to take a side, but can't find yourself to do so after some time. The suspense will keep you going until you realize you've finished the whole book and hunger for more. And what's not to like? It's the heroes going against each other!

Then again, Avengers VS X-Men is bringing that concept back too. So I guess I know which new story I'm gonna be following next.

Free Comic Book Day

Today marked a big day for my levels of geek. Today was Free Comic Book Day, and I decided to give it a shot and see which comics I could walk out with. First of all, it's been difficult living in a place where you don't know anyone and your previous hobby (card games) is forced to take a back seat. So I figured this event would give me a morale boost and not only reintroduce me to one of my first hobbies, but perhaps reintroduce me into the world of comics in general (and maybe meet some people in the process).

I quickly saw the variety of comics before me, and without a second thought I instantly grabbed all the comics I knew I was gonna sit down and read.

This is what I came out with.

Right there, I quickly began to remind myself why I loved comics so much. But it's been so long since I picked one up. So for the first time since the late 90's, I was once again sitting down and reading some good comics. And from that pack, a few select comics stood out. And from that pack, I think a few will become series I'm gonna keep up with and have become something I'm looking forward to. So I think I was happily reconnected with an old hobby.

These were the Top 5 Comics that stood out from whatever I brought home.

X6 And The Cursed High Max

Damn, this game is kicking my ass more than I thought. I have no idea how many times I have tossed my controller in frustration to getting my ass kicked by the final battle with High Max. I swear, I've gotten soft. I used to be so good at these games, but now I'm just really rusty!

Curse you, High Max!

I guess that's what happens in an era where platformers are rare. But once I'm done with this, I'm already selecting my next retro challenge.

Megaman X5

Out of all the games in my entire X Series Challenge, the first one to be beat was X5. Why that one? First off, X5 is my favorite of all the Megaman X games. It's got a lot of throwbacks to previous games of the series, as well as throwbacks to the original Megaman series.

One of my Top 10 games of all time.

So it's no surprise that it's the first one I beat. However, I'm still tempted to replay it already in Hard Mode, but I have yet to finish the other X games yet. X4 has been done so many times, it's stuck in my memory, but hasn't been passed this time around. X2 is still in the process of getting all the items, while X3 is in similar steps just so I could get the Gold Armor. And as for the first X, I'm still trying to jump over to try and get that head armor. It's a nasty jump, that one.

Best armor for this boss.

But for some reason, X5 was that one game I was really into from start to finish. Something about it (besides the throwbacks) made the game quite the experience every time. Plus, I have learned to love the Gaia Armor. Even though you can't use other weapons and have reduced speed, your increased toughness and power make it for quite the armor that makes you want to challenge the game with nothing but it. Well, except the first Virus Stage.

I saw this game from a different strategical point of view that just might tempt me into playing it in Hard Mode sooner rather than later. But for now, I'm trying to pass X6 (even though we all know the real ending was in X5).

Toonami's April Fools Return

(I originally posted this on my humor blog, but it also applies to this one so I will post it here too.)

Last night was just like any other, me struggling in my bed as I tried to find some sleep. And suddenly, at midnight, I get a message from La Barba.

"Dude, TOM is on TV!"

I didn't know what to make of it, especially since that character hasn't been on TV in ages. For those who don't know TOM is a character from the old Cartoon Network who hosted the Toonami block of japanese animation, as well as other cartoons based off comic books. During the 90's and early 2000's, it was the best time to be watching TV while we were growing up. So when I heard it was back, I was a bit skeptical.

And behold, I turned on my TV and saw that some shows I watched in high school were once again airing that night. I quickly celebrated, but was somehow surrounded with confusion. I started to get skeptical. Especially when earlier in the night, I was almost the victim of someone else's April Fool's prank. So I watched on to see if it was true.

And time passed, giving me more signs of hope. Dragonball nearly gave me a seizure, as I quickly realized why I never watched the show in the dark. The rest of the shows continued my nostalgia trip, but also started to fuel my slumber. And so, eventually my slumber won and I was asleep. And once I woke up, I see a message from La Barba which read: "worst prank ever!"

Turn the lights on! This scene is gonna make my head explode!

April Fools wasn't even starting, and already we had fallen to a massive prank. I gotta say, everything for the rest of the day will be assumed it's a prank. I'm even gonna be watching Wrestlemania with expectations of someone coming up and shouting "April Fools" at the end of the show! Gotta love April 1st.

Megaman X Series Challenge

Ever since starting my replay of the Megaman X series, I quickly realized why these games kicked so much ass. For one, they are extremely difficult platformers. Secondly, the strategy that goes into them. I entered my challenge with great rust.

I remembered most of the boss orders, but my timing with many of the games has been a bit off. I'm not doing as well with some bosses, taking longer on levels, and arriving to Sigma with a bigger weakness than usual. That just goes to show you how brutal these games can be if you're not prepared.

For someone who has never played these games, they might throw the controller at the screen before even getting to X2. And even veteran gamers like myself are still throwing the remote, but probably with more fury because we did better before.  Going back to these games with rust has added a new level of difficulty that's quite interesting.

But no matter how, I'm realizing how good these games will always be. Not many series will stand the test of time, but this series does. I'm still trying to finish any of the games on my replay, but I won't stop until I've finished them...so it might take me a while.

And I will be chronicling my challenge as it continues to transpire.

Wind Waker Replay

Last week I managed to finish my replay of Wind Waker after not having played since it's original release in 2003. At first, there was a bit of rust, but I quickly found myself remembering what to do. In about 2 weeks or so, I had completed the game. And even though I passed it quickly, I had enjoyed it a bit more for both the nostalgia effect and having a greater appreciation for the story this time around.

This time around, I was using better battle tactics, solving puzzles quicker, and doing things I wouldn't have done in my original run. But then again, I was only 16 so I probably didn't think as critically as I do now. My battles now involved a lot of thievery via the grappling hook, as well as a wiser use of all my weapons. Back then, I used to just hack and slash, but now I was calculating my every move. Same goes for the dungeons. I was clearing out the puzzles a lot quicker, as well as finding an easier time with bosses.

For some reason, 2012 seems to be a year of gaming flashbacks for me. I have already cleared KH1, Chain of Memories, and Wind Waker. And I have done better now than then. Now I'm thinking of taking on the challenge of the Megaman X series (games 1-6) to see how it goes. Perhaps I should chronicle my journey as I tackle these older games. Who knows? Could be fun.

The Doctor's New Companion

In an attempt to avoid spoilers for the upcoming season of Doctor Who, I have strayed from fan sites and such, just to be safe. However, on the BBC America page and the Doctor Who FB page I stumbled upon some information regarding the Doctor's new companion.

This new companion (actress name Jenna-Louise Coleman) is stated to meet the Doctor in Series Seven. I assume they will meet after the departure of Amy and Rory, but who knows. If I learned anything from this show, is the unpredictability of the show's very nature. So we will have to wait and see.

Until then, the anticipation keeps building as I count down to the return of the Doctor.

Gokaiger VS Gavan: Movie Review

I finally got around to seeing the latest Gokaiger movie, and I gotta say...it's an awesome movie. I dig the concept of the crossover movies, especially during anniversary years. This just makes me look forward to Super Hero Taisen even more. And I love all kinds of crossovers, from the Jetsons/Flintstones movie all the way to the Kingdom Hearts series. So this was no different, filled with all kinds of goodness.

The movie starts right in the middle of the action, which is a great way to get one hooked. Right away, we see Gavan attacking the Gokaigers and quickly start with more questions than answers. Why is Gavan attacking the Gokaigers? Isn't he a good guy? Is is the same case as when the Dekarangers tried to arrest Captain Marvelous? Perhaps, but we don't know until a bit later in the movie.

Overall, the story was pretty standard. It wasn't bad, because it actually had a pretty good backstory. However, it wasn't as deep as 199 Hero Battle. But that's okay, since the movie was still pretty awesome. The fight scenes were awesome, as usual. However, I do wish we could have seen Bootleg Gavan battle the Gokaigers at some point. Regardless, the action was fun to watch.

And one last note. What an impressive way to introduce the Gobusters. To have them wear down Basco so easily, it gave a good first impression of how strong they can be. However, they still didn't seem as overpowered as the Gokaigers (owning everyone with Final Wave) but rather a more strategic team. They knew how to disable Sally and had Basco cornered. Good showing by the new team.

Just a very good movie overall. And before I finish, I gotta note that the old school multi-angle shots of Gavan transforming was a pretty nod at older series. Kinda wish they still did that from time to time.

Chain of Memories, Underrated Goodness

Well, I'm back after an eternity away. I figured it's about time I dedicate some more time to this blog (since my card blog is dying down, unfortunately). Anyways, I've been doing a lot of gaming since my last post and have replayed the Kingdom Hearts games for the PS2. And among those games I decided to replay, was Chain of Memories.

Fun then, fun now.

Now, a lot of people give this game a ton of heat due to it's different battle system. Since it involves cards and deck building in order to manipulate your commands in battle, it made a lot of people shy away from it for this core reason. However, it's this very system that attracted me so much into it. It's an increased level of difficulty, especially since you have to be a bit more strategic when building your deck and during battle.

And right away, playing it has been nothing short of a treat. I got to replay a game I haven't touched since it first came out on the GBA during high school. And while I thought playing it the first time around was a bit rough, I was surprised at how much harder it was with Ruku's story. Not being able to modify your deck was an even bigger challenge. However, it was still a great challenge to undertake all over again.

It still keeps a good story to make it worth playing, but if you really want a challenging game then try this one out if you haven't already. I know I'm going to be coming back to this game in the future to play both versions in Proud Mode. By then, it might cause me to throw my remote at something in rage, but at least it's a challenge.

What If? #1: River's Final Appearance

With series 7 of Doctor Who coming later this year, as well as the confirmation on the departure of Amy and Rory, there's one other question that got me thinking.  Will this be the last we see of River Son as well? And if so, how will they make her final appearance?

And that's when my mind got cracking. Why not make an episode where River informs the Doctor she is going to the Library, thus causing the Doctor a dilemma. He will know what's to come, since he first met River during her final days. However, will this make him try to save her, or will it be a fixed point in time and find it as an inevitable event? Either way, if they do make an episode like this, we will see the Doctor trying to cope with this upcoming event.

So I had in mind some scenarios, but this is just something I would like to see as a fan. The Doctor travels to the Library to try to save River, but doesn't want to run into his previous incarnation. Either that, or the Doctor prepares a way to try to extract River from the computer so he can bring her out once the events that unfolded there are done.

Either that, or perhaps he just tries to warn her about the Library, but in the end realizes it's hopeless. I don't know, but if they are going to say farewell to River Song at some point, they have to mention the events of the library in some manner and how the Doctor will face it.

That's all the speculation I have for today. Until next time!

Tetris

It doesn't matter whether you're a casual gamer, retro gamer, new gamer, or hardcore gamer, Tetris is the one game everyone has either gone through, or will go through at some point.

Do you brag about how you have the best skills out there? Tetris will put that to the test, and it will do so every time.