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Metroid: Samus Returns

I’ve been wanting to play this ever since it came out, and I finally got the chance this week. I’ve played a few hours so far (I’m now in Area 2) and as much as I like the gameplay, I have a feeling I’m not going to get to finish it (also due to the fact that it’s a 2-week rental). It’s a bit more challenging than I’d like, as I feel like I constantly have to be on my toes, even when backtracking, and the complexity of the map means that I’m constantly zooming in and out to see what I missed and how I can manage to get to a particular point. Using the shoulder buttons to aim and use rockets isn’t as smooth or comfortable as I’d like, and so facing off against Metroids tends to be harder than it should be. I’m torn, because part of me loves it — the exploration is in fact quite cool, and they’ve done a great job with the look and music — but I just feel like I won’t have the patience to get to the end (in part because there is just so much stuff in my backlog that I also want to get to).

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Crimson Shroud

This is part of Level-5’s Guild series of downloadable games that have been coming out on 3DS, 6 or 7 of them so far (the first 4 were originally released together). The eShop currently has all of them on sale for $3, so I immediately jumped on Crimson Shroud, which I’d had my eye on for a while. What a neat game. It’s a light RPG that takes its influence from tabletop games, and that means not only are all of the characters and monsters portrayed as figurines, but you also go and roll a bunch of dice throughout the game. Being the board game geek that I am, it’s no surprise that I love this, but I think anyone would really get a kick out of the presentation and gameplay. I do plan on getting all of the Guild games, and can’t recommend enough Attack of the Friday Monsters, a game I loved to bits.

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Steel Diver: Sub Wars

This is the new free-to-play game that was released by Nintendo the other day for 3DS, and from what I’ve played so far – basically, going through the training missions – I must say this is pretty fun. The controls are neat and easy to understand, and I liked hunting other subs and ships. Online multiplayer is where it’s supposed to really shine, and so I’ll have to see how that goes, but I’m pleasantly surprised by what I’ve experience so far.

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Super Mario 3D World

So yes, just over a week ago, I finally got my hands on a Nintendo Wii U (and big thanks to my friend who made that possible). Despite the dismal news on the health of the console, I always knew I would eventually get one, and was just being patient, waiting for the games that I absolutely wanted to play to come out. Well, when I saw Super Mario 3D World in action, I knew it was time, and playing through it has been an absolute joy – and it means I have to update yet again my list of “Favorite Media of 2013.” The thing with a Mario game is that while I’m playing, I have a big stupid grin on my face the whole time, due to the joyous gameplay, the music – which my wife actually occasionally dances to – and the colorful aesthetics and sound effects. I fell in love again with Mario games after I played Super Mario 3D Land on 3DS last year, and this love continues. And despite the guts of the Wii U being last-gen, it’s just amazing how good this game looks – unlike the feeling I get when playing PS3 games after spending time on my PS4. And yes, being able to continue playing on the tablet controller when my wife wants to watch TV is as practical as I thought it would be – sure, the screen is not that great, but it’s still incredible useful for someone like me. Lastly, my request to Nintendo: please release HD remakes of the 2 Super Mario Galaxy games, that I can play with a regular controller.

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SteamWorld Dig

I just spent the weekend playing this, and wow, what fun. When it originally came out on 3DS last year, I remember a few friends praising it a lot, and so figured I would eventually get it. It’s a digging/mining game in which you try and uncover new areas, upgrading your robot with new gear by also mining gems along the way. Creating your maps on the way down is surprisingly addictive, and the controls are just right. It’s around $10 or less on the eShop, and I can’t recommend it enough.

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Bravely Default Demo

They’ve just released a demo for the upcoming US release of this (in February I think), and it’s pretty interesting that the demo itself is its own thing, not just a part of the full game – and you can unlock stuff in this that will carry to the full release. I’ve only started playing it, and so far I’m really digging the art style, but I think it’s going to take some time for me to wrap my head around the combat system, and how/when to use the brave/default mechanic properly – after just 2 battles my party was pretty much wiped out.

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Even though I bought this pretty much as soon as it hit the eShop on Friday, I didn’t really get a change to dig deep into it until last night, due to the weekend’s PS4 adventures (see the previous posts). I’m glad I didn’t rush into it though, and what I have played so far (2-3 hours) has been simply magical. The first thing that hits you – if you’re an old fart like me – is that the music brings you right back to those days of playing A Link to the Past, although it’s all beautifully rearranged. And oh how I missed playing a Zelda game top-down like this – and the 3D really is a cool effect on this kind of perspective. I know I’m going to have some lovely adventures playing this.

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Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

I played a bunch of this game when it came out on iOS, and bought a few (pricey) packs for it, but when I saw the original 3DS version on sale on Play-Asia, I decided to pick it up, and I’m sure glad I did. The joy here is of course in playing a rhythm game that involves all of the classic music from the series, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see that there’s much more to do in the 3DS version than in the iOS one (although I do miss the crisp graphics of the latter). 

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Nano Assault EX

I bought this game on the 3DS eShop last week – it was on sale for half price, and probably still is – and haven’t played much because of Dream Team monopolizing my 3DS time these days, but it’s a really rad shooter. This game really shows off the 3D effects of the system well, and so it’s a joy to move around the 3D space, shooting the hell out of incoming viruses and the like. Definitely worth picking up, especially at the current sale price (something like $6-7).

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Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

As you may have noticed, I’ve really been enjoying playing games on the 3DS of late, and so it’s no big surprise that I was fairly excited at the idea of playing Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, to the point that I got the game pretty much as it was released (midnight release on August 11). I’m not that familiar with the Mario RPG series, having only played one (Partners in Time), and not to completion, but man, I’m really enjoying this game. I’ve always been one to enjoy JRPGs, and so turn-based battles are something I like, but it’s really fun how these games build on that, adding so much “action” as part of the battles, to keep you on your toes. The story is fun but silly – as you’d expect – but the real fun is in exploring the world by way of Luigi’s dreams, activating various gimmicks to advance further. I can definitely see myself getting to the end of this.