Super Mario 64 Review

Ask anyone what their favourite game of all time is and chances are its Super Mario 64; the game that revolutionized the platforming genre and introduced gamers to the third dimension.
Super Mario 64 DS is basically an updated version of the classic N64 game. You’re probably wondering why Nintendo didn’t just make a sequel to it on DS. But the benefits are clear. Super Mario 64 wasn’t perfect so making a portable version that fixes its mistakes and adds more levels is like music to any Mario fan’s ears!

Jump Past the break to continue reading the review!





The game starts off in similar way to the original. Peach sends a letter to Mario telling him that she baked a cake for him. Of course, being the overweight stereotypical plumber that he is, Mario rushes to the castle. Only this time his underappreciated brother (Luigi) and his morbidly obese arch nemesis (Wario) accompany him.

The three beloved Nintendo Characters get lost and it’s up to Yoshi to save each one of them so that they’re playable throughout the quest.
Since each character has certain traits (Luigi can walk on water for some unexplained reason!), the level opportunities have increased adding a lot more thought to the puzzles. Despite this, Mario is still the most used character.

The game now has 30 more star missions than the original, making a total 150 star missions. This means that this may end up staying inside your DS card slot for months. But don’t get too excited.


The original Super Mario 64 was heralded for its perfect controls for the move into the third dimension. The analog stick had a precise level of control that meant that if you lost you definitely couldn’t blame the controls. SM64DS is different though. The NDS doesn’t have an analog stick and using the D-pad for a game like this often makes you wish you were playing the original. It just doesn’t cut it. There is an option to control your character with the touch screen but that gets annoying after five minutes.

Also included with SM64DS are the minigames. It’s a good thing too because this was one of the only launch titles to not feature stylus control as its main feature. The minigames are stylus based and at least they give first time DS users a chance to see what all the fuss is about. The minigames are fun for the most part but some are more pointless than others. (Remember kids, gambling is good for you!)

Finding all the stars in the game is where the fun is though. The sense of accomplishment you get once you collect every star is only rivaled by the sense of accomplishment you get once you beat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. But believe me, getting every star is no easy task but it is definitely worth it in the end.

Super Mario 64 DS has gotten a welcome graphical upgrade. Character models are much smoother, colours are much more vibrant, and textures are much better. It’s like the sequel it never had! As always the music is spectacular and memorable as well.

Super Mario 64 DS isn’t completely different to its predecessor. But for what it lacks in uniqueness, it more than makes up for in playtime. Sure the controls are frustratingly suited for 2D games, and some people would argue that this kind of gameplay is dated; but by golly Mario is back baby!

Gameplay: 9.5
Story: 8.7
Presentation: 9.0

OVERALL: 9.0

“Must have DS game for hardcore gamers”

Awesome Master Sword Stylus

This Nintendo DS stylus is pure awesome contained within a tiny white stick. It's the Master Sword carved to perfection!

This is one stylus you don't want to lose between the couch cushions!

Australia Get DSi April 2nd

Only a few months after it was released in Japan, the DSi will be hitting Ausie shelves on April 2nd, Americans' will be getting it April 5th, and Europe will be getting it April 3rd.

The colours available on launch are (matte) black and (matte) white (above), where as the Americans will be getting the odd combination Black and blue. 

Available on launch will be Nintendo points for applications as well as the dsi internet browser.

The dsi in Australia will cost $299. $100 more than the it's predececcor (ds lite). This price increase is a bit steep, but Australian gamers have been screwed over worse before so you should be used to it by now.

What I find most intriguing about all this is the fact that Australian's get the dsi first! Before the Europeans and Americans!!!

I think Nintendo is throwing us a bone!

Now if your reading this then your most likely a gamer, so there's no doubt you've heard about this hardware. But for those who haven't (yes all three of you) I will post some videos and links to some informative sites. But don't forget to come back here!

http://vooks.net/modules.php?module=article&id=13771

http://www.ebgames.com.au/xbox/news.cfm?newID=548

http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/dsi-gouging-new-handheld-out-april-2-for-au-299/

I posted this video, so check out my channel, it's mostly reviews and trailers http://www.youtube.com/user/nintendrastic

GTA: Chinatown wars announced for DS!

This is the most exciting news I've heard all week!

Rockstar have announced a new GTA game for the Nintendo DS titled Grand Theft Auto:Chinatown wars.
"This is a game that will deliver a rich, fast-paced and intense 'Grand Theft Auto' experience that will be truly unique to Nintendo's handheld platform," Rockstar games founder ,Sam Houser said."Rockstar Leeds, along with the team at Rockstar North, has built upon a decade of progressive design on Grand Theft Auto, and has created something fundamentally fresh and immersive."

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is an entirely original entry into the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, and brings a new level of interactivity to its sprawling open environments. With the use of the DS touch screen, players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the franchise.

I'm almost speechless. I've mentioned on this blog before about GTA on DS and it seemed so unlikely! E3 is just getting more and more exciting!

Also See

FAKE!

Viva Pinata development is (almost?) complete.

There is still no release date for Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise, but Rare says the game is now complete.

But if it's complete, why not a release date?

I think Viva Pinata should've been on the DS from the very beginning. A game like this just doesn't suit the 360's hardcore-ness.

Still Playing? (Mario Kart Edition)

What Mario Kart Games are you still playing?

Mario Kart's nature ensures that you'll be playing for a long time. But you eventually start playing less and less. And then you might stop.

In Mario Kart, every single race you do can have a different outcome, different items and different catastrophes. This is why we continue playing; Because it's never the same.

Replayability is the key. Play until you beat 50 CC cups. Then when you play again, beat 100 CC, and so on.
This might sound boring, but playing the same levels over and over again, can lead to the 150 CC Mirror cup.
The mirror cup changes all the levels by mirroring them. This forces you to forget all your strategies, all your previous knowledge of the courses.
"OK now I need to turn right" But you actually have to turn left!

Once you beat all of the different CC classes you should now have some unlockables to play with. And what better way to test them than multiplayer?!
The multiplayer is where it's really at. It's where races get even more random, but even more fun as well.

You could go back to any Mario Kart and enjoy it again just because of the multiplayer.
The frantic struggle for the finish line is great for a few laughs.


I am still playing Mario Kart Wii. I have beat 50 CC and 100 CC, I'm about to beat 150 CC.

New Cooking Game coming Down Under

The Australian Classification board has revealed that the Japanese DS game 'Cooking Navi' is coming to Australia.
Here, the game will be called 'Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat?'.

The Japanese version featured over 200 recipes and focused mainly on Asian Cuisine.
The game is basically an interactive Cookbook/ cooking tutor.

The game's release date has not yet been revealed.

Rumor or News: Paper Mario on DS

I've been awaiting this franchise to visit the DS, but it could just be a rumor.

According to (the translated version of) a Ruliweb post about a note in the latest issue of CoroCoro Comic, a DS version of the Nintendo 64 Paper Mario is on the way

A port?I would've liked a new game but whatever.
I have never played the N64 Paper Mario so I'm looking forward to it.

DS Review- Professor Layton and The Curious Village

I was skeptical about Professor Layton and The Curious Village. Sure I love puzzles as much as the next gamer (there are plenty in Zelda).
But playing a game that is almost entirely about puzzles? I was more than worried.
But after spending some time with this game, I now realize it's one of the greatest puzzle games ever made.

Professor Layton finds out that there is a Golden Apple hidden St Mystere and goes to investigate. The late Baron Reinhold hid this item just before dying, and has promised all of his fortune to the one who finds it.
Along with the Golden Apple many other mysteries are happening in the strange village.

Everyone in St Mystere is obsessed with puzzles.
Almost every time you talk to someone they force a puzzle upon you. This might sound bad, but the puzzles are so well thought and fun, that you'll like it.

Puzzles range from entering numbers and letters, fining something hidden in a picture and getting a ball out of a maze.
So many puzzles so little time. Although it might sound pointless, most puzzles you solve will earn you valuable information, items, or they could open a door.
The length of Professor Layton depends on how fast you are at solving the puzzles. But despite being a kids game, Professor Layton can be devilishly hard. One puzzle took me over an hour to solve.
Some puzzles might seem hard but they trick you like riddles. Here's an Example:
Mice can start breeding two months after they're born. If you buy a female mouse, how many mice will you have in ten months?
Sound hard huh? Well the answer is one because mice can't have baby's on their own.

Any puzzle that you miss will get sent to some old lady's house where you can come back to play whenever you want.

Professor Layton entirely touch screen controls, which is definitely suited to the puzzles.

Graphically Layton is fine. It's cartoony style is great, and the cutscenes are the highlight of the game.
Anime style movies are in between bits of the game, and the rare times you see them are brilliant.

I almost forgot to mention Layton's humble apprentice, Luke!
Luke aids Layton on his journey and you sometimes play as him to solve puzzles.

If your not into puzzles I think you'll hate this game. There way too many for anyone to just try to skip them.
But you have to like puzzles, because they're charming, thoughtful, and incredibly abundant!

Visuals 86/100 Sound 83/100 Story 90/100 Gameplay 97/100 OVERALL- 95/100

"An incredibly puzzling Adventure and therefore one of the best!"

BUY THIS GAME!

Below is the trailer



(And there will be a sequel soon! CAN'T WAIT!)

Meteos- DS Review

Meteos was released in 2005. I'm reviewing this now because I want everyone to know how good it is.

Puzzle games suit the DS perfectly. The touch screen enables you to control things perfectly. The dual screen can help the player see more.

Meteos uses this to it's advantage.

The story of Meteos isn't just an excuse to make sense of the puzzle system. Meteos' story works perfectly for the puzzle system.

The evil planet Meteo is shooting coloured blocks at the planet Geolyte.
The inhabitants of geolyte use their power to shot back the blocks by fusing the same colours together, creating a launching flame.

So the basic idea is to move block vertically in their columns to match them vertically or horizontally.
When they match it shoots them up above the other blocks. If it's strong enough, the block tower will shoot up into the planet you're attacking. If not, then you must match the blocks in the tower while it's coming down from the sky try and shoot it back up.

Sound confusing?
The truth is that anyone can master it in just minutes!

The controls on this game work great.
So to slide a block up or down a column, just put your stylus on the block and slide it to where you want it.

It's so simple!

There are 5 main modes.

Simple- Set your rules and play on game.(this just for quick plays.)

Star Trip- Defeat planet Meteo! Reach the end! ( this is the main story mode, it can take a while!)

Deluge- Play Until You Fail! ( this take a VERY long time, it's great for seeing how long you can go!)

Time War- Shoot for high scores in four rule sets! (see if you can last two to five minutes.)

Tutor- How to Play meteos.

There is also multiplayer ,Versus and so- on

The music in Meteos is epic! It kind of sounds like back to the future music sometimes!

ADDICTION ALERT!

This game will have playing all day and night. It NEVER GETS BORING!

Visual-89/100 Sound-94/100 Gameplay- 97/100

OVERALL- 97/100

An addictive puzzle game that gets everything right!

FAKE!

To celebrate April Fools Day (which was yesterday), I decided to show you the fakest Nintendo rumors EVER!

Fake no.1: Halo DS

Come on guys, who are you trying to fool?

This fake started at IGN (Internet Gaming Network), where Matt Cassamasima showed off what appeared to be a 'demo' of Halo DS.
The demo was proved to be fake by a youtuber who showed everybody that the game disguised as Halo DS, was in fact a game called Golden Eye Rogue Agent.
Seriously, how could anyone fall for the boxart to the right?!







Fake No.2: GTA DS


A french retailer has put down GTA IV on their retail list. The platform they've marked it on is the DS.

This is SOOO Fake!
The french retailer also put Guitar Hero 3 on DS. The guitar Hero coming out on DS is called Guitar Hero On tour!
If they wanted to put GTA IV on DS, they would've announced it for wii ages ago.




Fake No 3: Pokemon Opal



The third point in the Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Opal triangle, this game's announcement -- compete with a convincing press release! -- promises revolutionary features like 3D battles, voice commands, and a "new Battle Nation area."

Pretty fake...









Fake No 4: Excite Bike 64 DS

I have no Idea where this came from....
















OK that's it for now.
Have a great April!

EA Announces 'Zubo'!

The popular company behind titles such as FIFA 08, and NBA, has announced a kids rhythm game for the DS.

In Zubo, the player must aid the inhabitants of Zubalon against the evil Zombos.
The player must feed, train, and use their Zubos to kill stuff in a kid-like way!

"Zubo represents the culmination of a dedicated incubation project, which specifically sought to develop a new videogame property for boys and girls under 12," said Harvey Elliott, Head of the EA Bright Light studio in Guildford, UK. "The team here has designed a rich, immersive and, above all, enjoyable experience -- one that will live in the schoolyard, at home or on the move."

Players enter the world of Zubalon to help the colorful and zany inhabitants, the Zubos, defeat an evil force which is bent on world domination. Players can befriend the Zubos they meet along the way, feed and nurture them, help them gain skills and strength, and assist them in their battles with the enemy, the dastardly Zombos.

A key element to Zubo is music, which is intrinsic to Zubalon from its tuneful plant life through to its currency of musical notes. The player will use the music to drive the battles forward, synchronizing their stylus action and tapping in time with the musical beats to win!

With 55 Zubos available to find and recruit to a player's squad, plus a wealth of interactions and mini-games, and the world of Zubalon to explore, Zubo offers a deeply rewarding Nintendo DS experience.

Zubo is developed by EA Bright Light studio in Guildford, UK and it will be available on the Nintendo DS this autumn.

Paramount Now Moving to Games Development

The movie company, Paramount, will be devoloping games for the DS and PSP (Why only handelds?).

"We are entering into deals now where we will be publishing games this year," said Sandi Isaacs, Par's senior veep of interactive and mobile. "There's going to be a slate where in some cases we're publishing, in some cases we're co-publishing, or in others we're funding development and another publisher buys it. It's important for us to have a flexible model." At this stage there is no word on exactly what games they will be publishing or co-publishing but their first title is expected to be released later this year.

Paramount will continue licencing out it's movies to game developers as always, because Paramount is only interested in new licenses and catalogue titles.

So you'll have to wait and see what they have in store for you.

Lego Batman Announced

Holy Moly, Batman, we're made of Lego!

It was inevitable. First it was Star Wars. Then it was Indiana Jones, and now, Batman!


The game will apear on all platforms including Wii and DS (what a surprise!)

There is no release date for the game yet.

Are you excited about this game? I'm not!

New N+ Video

I'm sure you're all aware of the new game coming to DS (N+). Judging by the video, I would say that it's looking pretty good. But, The way the character moves just isn't the same as the N game on the computer.



IGN recently had an interview with Metanet Co-founders, Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns.



Raigan Burns: Some of the first stuff we did was just stuff moving around, so you need collision pretty quickly.



Mare Sheppard: And we knew that we wanted to do something a little different than what you typically find in games. Basically we had kind of a rough concept of something that we really wanted to play. So we were kind of working on, "How are we going to make this happen? What do we need to do?"



IGN: So you guys started out thinking about doing a 2D platformer and it just sort of mushroomed from there?



Raigan Burns: Yeah. It was a good simple thing to go for.



Mare Sheppard: Yeah, a good first project.



Catch more of the interview here.

Nintendo's Sympathy

I'm sure you've heard this before but whatever. Someone called Nintendo explaining their situation of a broken DS. Nintendo quickly reacted by sending them a brand new one.

Would Sony do this? No. Surely Microsoft? No. Nintendo.
Nintendo is the only game company with enough sympathy to refund a DS lite entirely because (somehow) they broke theirs.

Now that is sympathy. But I've been wondering: What else would they refund? A Wii remote? A Wii?!!

Who knows?