Super Mario Strikers

Super Mario Strikers - Nintendo Gamecube

Lists of top-ten best Gamecube games are usually comprised of about 9 first-party Nintendo titles, and Resident Evil 4. You always have Metroid Prime and The Wind Waker in the top 3, but after that I've seen Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Wave Race, Twilight Princess, Luigi's Mansion, etc. And sometimes, every once in a blue moon, hovering at around the 9th or 10th spot is a third-party title featuring first-party characters shoving and checking each other in pursuit of a soccer ball. This title is Super Mario Strikers.

Super Mario Strikers is a soccer game with slight modifications to the traditional rules of the international sport. The goal is still to kick the ball into the net of the defending team, but this wouldn't be a Gamecube game without some re-imagining of sorts; Super Mario Strikers is the only Mario-sports game I can think of to place this much emphasis on violence. During a match, you are encouraged to switch back and forth between each of the 4 players on your team to score as many points as possible. Normally this would mean good teamwork and skilled playing, but Strikers cares much more about the instant-gratification that comes with punching and slide-tackling your opponents than it does about adhering to classic soccer techniques. It's super fun and easy to knock the members of the opposing team into the electric walls surrounding each soccer field, and combining these attacks with Perfect Passes, Super Strikes, and dekes is the best way to ensure you have an extremely exciting Mario soccer match.

The main issue with Super Mario Strikers is the dearth of variety between game-modes. There are Cup Battles, Super Cup Battles, and Grudge Matches. Cup battles are your beginner-level single player mode. Beat all the cups, with the teams (in this mode) set to Rookie difficulty, in order to unlock Super Cup Battles. Super Cup Battles are the same thing with higher difficulty, and beating each of these tourneys unlocks different "cheats", such as Field Tilt and Explosive Power-ups, to be used in Grudge Match (man, remember cheats?). Grudge Match is simply your multiplayer mode, where up to 4 people can join in on the gnarly soccer fun. This being said, your friends can actually drop in and out from game to game to play all of the single-player modes Co-op. Each Cup can last anywhere from 5 to 15 matches total, so it's really nice for a friend to be able to join in for 3 or 4 matches, then drop out without having to change modes or exit menus or anything. The point is that completing the single player modes awards nothing more than enhancements to the multiplayer experience. This makes Strikers a perfect party game, but very little more- it just doesn't have enough content to hold up as a single player experience.

The unlockables in Super Mario Strikers, not including the cheats, also leave something to be desired. There are 9 playable teams in the game, and only 1 of them has to be unlocked by playing Cup Battles. You will also unlock different stadiums by completing certain cups, and although I do have my preferences now that I've unlocked them all, each are barely more than color-swaps, and none of them change the gameplay at all.

Super Mario Strikers is sincerely addicting. Even in the single player modes, you can adjust the length of any match to be 2 - 15 minutes, making them an awesome way to kill 15 - 20 minutes. It's also a great game to liven-up a party, or just hang out with a couple of friends and some snacks on a Thursday night. Unfortunately, Strikers suffers the most when those friends leave and all you've left are the single player modes. Playing the game alone is fun for a little while, but when a title is this silly and this violent, it can have the tendency to leave you with an itch that can only be scratched by shoving your friends into electric walls. If you have friends to play this game with and you collect for the Gamecube, buy Super Mario Strikers; if not, don't.

Time To Make Some Crazy Money!!! - Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi - Nintendo Gamecube

Crazy Taxi is one of those games you see almost everywhere. Whether it's taking its original 1999 form in an arcade, waiting to be downloaded on Steam, or enjoying life on any of the sixth generation consoles, Crazy Taxi is nothing less than a classic title screaming with personality. I find this game, with its dumb yellow box, at retro game shops and flea markets everywhere I go. Usually a single copy will be accompanied by a second and third and fourth just sitting on the shelf unwanted, bearing a humbling $5 price tag. I recently grabbed a copy to use its box to brighten up the aesthetics of my Gamecube collection, but instead I found myself hooked on burning rubber.

Even on consoles, Crazy Taxi still retains its arcade feel. Gameplay involves picking up and dropping off passengers on the streets of what appears to be an exaggerated, cartoon version of San Francisco. You are free to drive around the town, disobeying all traffic laws, flying over sidewalks and off of truck-beds, but time will quickly expire if you neglect to pick up pedestrians waiting for a taxi ride. Both taking on and unloading passengers will award you additional time, and the game ends when time runs out. That's pretty much it. The console version keeps track of your high scores, and as long as you're playing the "Arcade" or "Original" version of the game (selected on the main menu), achieving a respectable high score is all there is to it.

The console version also has a challenge mode. Challenge mode presents players with different scenarios, such as seeing how far you can launch off of a ramp, or how quickly you can escort a certain number of passengers. Gameplay stays pretty uniform no matter which mode you play, but challenge mode does its best to mix things up, sometimes successfully and other times just adding more of the same.

The best way to play Crazy Taxi (in my experience) is to put it on if you have 10 or 15 minutes to kill before you need to go to work or something. As many times as I have booted Crazy Taxi since I purchased it 3 days ago, I haven't yet played for more than 20 minutes at a time- this is not a game meant to be played for hours and hours at once. That being said, it is addictive and the punk-rock soundtrack featuring early hits by The Offspring is an excellent compliment to the fast-paced bad-ass attitude the game proudly demonstrates.

Don't get me wrong, Crazy Taxi isn't going to change anyone's life. But it is really fun and undoubtedly worth $5. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for something dumb to bust out at a party, or to anyone whose video game box collection is severally missing the color yellow.

Nintendo Direct 11/12/15

Earlier this evening, Nintendo streamed the first Nintendo Direct presentation we have seen since the passing of former Nintendo of Japan President Satoru Iwata. The following is everything discussed during said presentation in order, along with some brief thoughts:

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD Remake coming to WiiU -

Twilight Princess is my favorite LoZ game, so I am excited to know that many gamers will be picking it up to play again. That being said, the footage of the game showed during the Nintendo Direct looked underwhelming. I had a very hard time identifying the differences between the original version and the HD footage, not to mention the fact that those near 10 year old models haven't aged as well as they did in Wind Waker. It'll be fine, since it's Zelda, but we'll have to see about this one. 

Zelda WiiU- 

Literally all they said was that it was still happening.

New Pokemon Mystery Dungeon for the 3DS- 

Take it or leave it. I left it. 

New Splatoon stages/weapons/gear/etc.- 

Indifferent. The game is amazing with or without new additions, so either way is fine by me.

Super Mario Maker App-

Apparently, a new PC and mobile devices app is going to be released in order to introduce a more efficient way of searching for user-made stages worth playing in Super Mario Maker. lol

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival-

Take it or leave it. I bloody left it. They also mentioned a couple of Animal Crossing Amiibo, but I feel like that craze has passed.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash-

Release date- Nov 20. Demonstrated a few of the new moves in the game. If you're into it, you should be pleased; if not, skip.

Xenoblade Chronicles X- 

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Release date: Dec 3. Kind of just reminded us that it was coming out...again. It looks really good, but nothing new to report.

Nintendo Badges- 

God, I can't even remember. I think it is a free-to-start 3DS game that contributes to an ability to unlock new themes for the 3DS Home Screen. 

Pokemon Picross- 

Another Pokemon-themed puzzle game for the 3DS. Pokemon shuffle is really good, but I don't need another Pokepuzzle game, personally.

Steamworld Heist-

A tactical 2D strategy game. It kind of looks like a 2D Codename S.T.E.A.M. It looks pretty good to me. I'll keep my eye on it.

Fast Racing Neo-

Didn't look as good as what I would want a new F-Zero game to be, but I'll keep my eye on it.

Typoman-

Apparently, the WiiU gamepad makes Typoman
 noteworthy and intuitive

Puzzle platformer that uses the manipulation of letters in words to affect what that word does in the game. It looks artsy and unique; I'll be sure to keep my eye on this as well, especially since I can sense that it will be inexpensive upon release.

Pokken Tournament- 

Nothing really new to report, but it looks really fun. I'll probably get it soon after it launches.

Star Fox Zero-

Release date- Apr 22. Doesn't look any better or worse than it has been looking in past trailers. I'm curious about how this game will do.

Mario and Luigi / Paper Mario crossover game- 

Looks to be a combination of Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi games. It's not hard to imagine since the games feature almost identical gameplay.

Final Fantasy Explorers- 

Release date- Jan 26. Looks alright. First FF game on the 3DS. Should be worth keeping an eye on.

FE Fates Bundle includes all 3 games, 3DS
 drawstring pouch, and an artbook for $80

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright/ Conquest/ Revelation-  

Release date: Feb 19th. Looks really good. Dunno how I feel about the story being spread across multiple games, but an $80 bundle for all 3 titles is being released, and tbh, that's not the worst deal.

Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow on 3DS eshop- 

Release date- Feb 27th. Can't find anything to complain about here, unless you already own the games. At least having them on the 3DS will relieve you of the stress of having that old internal battery wear out on you. I'm curious to see how much they will cost.

Hyrule Warrior Legends-

Release date- March 25. Take it or leave it. Didn't look too bad to me, but redundant if you've played the Wii U version

Dragon Question VII- 

If you're into DQ, I don't see why you wouldn't be happy.

Cloud Strife in Super Smash Bros.- 

I'm stoked. No release date, but an awesome choice. 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/12/final-fantasy-7s-cloud-coming-to-super-smash-bros-wii-u-3ds Check it out here. 

All in all, there should be something here for everyone. I'm excited, but more importantly, I'm pleased. 

Custom Robo

It's been a long time since I last reviewed a hidden gem on the Gamecube. To be honest, it has been a long time since I last started a new Gamecube game. A friend is letting me hold onto a few of his games for a while though, so I figured a few weeks ago was a perfect time to dust off the ol' cube and get back to what brought me here in the first place.

Custom Robo - Nintendo Gamecube

      It's not too often that we see an IP with five entrees slip under the radar to the extent that Custom Robo has. Spanning all the way back to 1999 on the Nintendo 64, the Custom Robo series was initially one that was kept exclusive to Japan, with its first three entrees, Custom Robo, Custom Robo v2, and Custom Robo GX never to see an international release. Eventually, North America got its first taste of the Custom Robo series in the year 2004 on the Nintendo Gamecube. For a retro game, Custom Robo has a pretty considerable price tag, sitting at around $25 on eBay at time of writing, but is Custom Robo still worth a 3-Way or Vertical shot, or has it rusted over time?

   At its forefront, Custom Robo is an action RPG. Most of the gameplay takes place in 3D battle arenas where either two or four Custom Robos will fight in order to reduce their opponent's health from 1000 to 0. The way to gain the advantage over your opponent is by taking the Robo that you are given in the beginning of the plot and upgrading it using parts you are awarded by completing certain tasks as you progress through the initial 10 hour campaign. Things start off pretty simple while you have few parts to select or swap-out, but quickly become much more interesting as you are awarded many different parts frequently. Each Custom Robo is made up of a combination of 5 parts: gun, bomb, pod, legs, and model. Most of the parts are so vastly different from each other that even the most subtle changes to your build can produce drastically different results in the battle arena. I experimented with a few different builds to find one that fit my playing style, and in the process played briefly with a Custom Robo that did heavy damage and jumped really high but lacked mobility and was armed with a 3-Way shooting gun and heat seeking missiles, and another Robo that was extremely agile and powerful while in the air but lacked fire power on the ground, equipped with triple-pods designed to meander around the battle field, before I finally built the perfect Robo for me: a Robo with the ability to warp while in the air, armed with a gun that shoots both forward and up, pods that could be fired three at a time, and bombs that cleared walls.

   

  Being able to quickly master the layout of each arena is another noteworthy albeit much less important skill to have when fighting. According to the lore, each battle arena is generated by natural abilities had by each Custom Robo master, and whenever you fight a new opponent, you play in their arena. Each arena stays roughly the same size, and the differences between each one can be a bit underwhelming, but the diversity in color scheme and music, as well as noticing how the layout of each arena reflects the personality of the character generating it makes what could have been an afterthought on behalf of the developers one of the most charming aspects of the game.

    The story is much less intricate than the building and fighting of Custom Robos, though it is not without its plot-twists, fun characters, and genuinely humorous dialogue. After selecting the name of your character, you wake up in your home and are immediately encouraged by your land-lady to pursue a job as a mercenary working for an organization called the Steel Hearts. You get the job after proving your natural talents with a Custom Robo by fighting off enemies from a rival gang called Z Syndicate who failed in an attempt to rob a nearby laboratory of a rare Custom Robo model. Without wishing to give anything more than the first 5 minutes of the game away, you eventually learn what/who it was that the Z Syndicate is after, as well as who runs the Z Syndicate. Overall, the story, while cute and necessary in order for some of the hilarious dialogue to hold meaning, does little more than serve the gameplay.

 
  After all of that, there is a second story mode that is unlocked after completing the first. The second story mode throws you and your fellow Steel Heart members into a tournament meant to have the citizens of the town regain the trust of the police after it was lost as a result of the events in story number 1. While I found the entirety of the first story to be extremely easy albeit fun, the second story provides a much greater challenge. As opposed to the fights in the first story won by selecting the same build and using the same strategies every round, I found myself having to use different parts and tactics in order to account for the game's increased difficulty level. In story number 1, I felt discouraged from using different parts after I found a build that worked perfectly for me, but the increased difficulty provided by the second story was exactly what I needed in order to explore the game's depths to further extent, and I wasn't disappointed.

     At the end of it all, the gameplay is divided into two parts: 1 where you walk your character to which ever location on the map triggers the next plot point, and 1 where you actually fight. Throughout all of Custom Robo, there are no puzzles, no exploring, and no level-up system besides the acquisition of new parts. While the fighting is addicting, I did become concerned that the lack of variety in gameplay would result in the game feeling samey. However, since the game is so short, with my completing of the first story taking a shade under 10 hours, it ends before you get tired, and while I will always appreciate a game for not over-staying it's welcome, it would have been nice to see more variety.

    Custom Robo is uncompromising in its gameplay; it is an action RPG about building robots and using them to fight other robots. Its arcade-like and campy tone is refreshing and has aged well. Despite some gameplay repetition and a generally weak story, Custom Robo offers an impressive level of depth when it comes to selecting your build, and features an addicting battle system that will be sure to keep you coming back even after your last opponent has fallen.

MY FAVORITE GAMECUBE GAME

Fin.

Number 2 Favorite Gamecube Game

Only 1 more!

Namco

I just beat Tales of Symphonia. It was amazing. It was made by Namco. BUT I am not quite ready to write a review on it yet, as it will probably take a bit of thinking to really form my final thoughts on that game, so instead, I am considering which other Namco games I have really enjoyed in the past or present. Soul Calibur 2 is among my favorite Gamecube games ever and that was made by Namco, but what about that round guy? You know, apparently gaming's most iconic character. Not Mario, not Sonic, but the yellow cheese wheel that Americans call Pac-Man!

Ever since his arcade debut in year 1980, Pac-Man has been eating fruit and taking out ghosts in almost every genre that 80s gaming would allow. He has seen Tetris spin-offs and even female spin-offs. If you wanna get your best bang for your buck when it comes to Pac-Man trivia, check out Did You Know Gaming's website for a video all about the hockey puck. You guys are here for another reason though: to find out MY thoughts on a game that I enjoy. Now that you know that today is all about Pac-Man, I bet you're beginning to wonder which game I plan to discuss. Pac-Man on the Gamecube? There's only 1 best answer.

Pac-Man World 2

Pac-Man World 2 is a sequel to Pac-Man World released in year 1999 for the Playstation. Now I admit, I didn't play the first Pac-Man World game so I can't compare it to it's sequel, but I can discuss why I think Pac-Man World 2 is a fun game totally worth the $3 price tag! Hmm, I guess I'll go Gameplay, Level Design, and Soundtrack for this one.

The gameplay of Pac-Man World 2 actually reminds me a lot of Crash Bandicoot with abilities taken from Super Mario 64 and Sonic Adventure. You control a fully 3D Pac-Man in fully linear 3D levels just trying to navigate from the beginning of the level to the end. There are 25 levels spread across 6 different worlds ranging from Forests to Volcanoes and in order to beat the game, you must utilize your jump, butt-bounce, and rev-roll ability to beat every level. It's a pretty simple game that depicts how easily gamers used to be satisfied, but it is a delight to be playing again. When it comes to what sets this game apart from other linear platformers, really, there isn't much to say. This game was, as I like to say, "standard stuff", when it came to gameplay. However, like a fine wine, this game has aged quite well. When it comes to platformers, game developers nowadays have put so much effort into making this genre that tends to be a bit on the shallow side grow. They add guns, gimmicks, and speed to try to set their game apart from platformers of the past. Going back and playing old platformers can cause just as much of a culture shock because the difference between platformers made in 1999 and platformers made in 2007 is just as great as the difference between platformers made in 2008 and platformers made in 2014. True, it may take an experienced gamer to appreciate an older title, but I think that this game is simply so much fun, that the experience necessary to tolerate its age is less vital than it would be if this game wasn't any fun at all.

Now LEVEL DESIGN is another story. Holy SHIT this game just looks amazing. Not that it is graphically extraordinary, but the colors, the art-style, the models, the ghosts, the environment is just so bright and colorful that I feel like I am going to shit balloons for an hour after playing this game! Now this is definitely a good thing in the case of "why Pac-Man World 2 is different and dare I saw better than other platformers of its kind VS. people who aren't me". When a game, especially a platformer, is only average in 1 category of it's core experience, its only hope of doing well in the streets relies in its ability to compensate enormously in its other features. Pac-Man World 2 totally nails it when it comes to level design. This game is a pleasure to look at. Every color is so bright that even Pac-Man himself has a gigantic smile on his face during the entire game! What makes this especially pleasing to hardcore gamers is that this emphasis on color is actually a clever nod to the original Pac-Man back from 1980. Every ghost in the original Pac-Man game was originally supposed to be red. As a result of a survey taken by volunteer gamers back in 1979, each ghost was given their own unique color, Red, Cyan, Orange, and Pink in the final game. The fruit in Pac-Man were also always brightly colored, as fruit is in real life. This importance of color has obviously been cherished over at Namco, as their utilization of bright greens and blues really shows through all of Pac Land, right down to the power pellets.

And to finally make up for the reused platforming concept featured in Pac-Man World, we have the soundtrack. This game's soundtrack....THIS. GAME'S. SOUNDTRACK. is actually one of my favorite soundtracks of any game I have ever played, INCLUDING Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s and Tony Hawk's Underground 2. The game features orchestral music which is actually really well-composed. It has a really triumphant yet accessible feel to it that makes you want to save the damn world while humming. The game has an extremely catchy main theme, and every individual level features background music that is some sort of variant of the main theme. But of course, no soundtrack would be for-real unless it matched up with the theme of the level. Each variant of the main theme in each level is composed with respect to the level in which the song is featured. The ice themed levels are very peaceful with a lot of bells and chimes. The forest levels emphasis a lot of percussion. The Graveyard levels feature a lot of jarring harmonies- you get the point.  And finally, the sound effects. Not much else can be said other than they are mostly the exact sound effects used back in 1980. Everything from eating pac-dots to losing a life utilizes the same sound effects that were used 23 years before this game was released, much like how Sonic's signature ring-collecting sound hasn't been changed since Sonic's debut in 1991. It's clever and familiar as it is always comforting to witness something that simply is not affected by time.

I bet all this talk of Pac-Man has put you in the mood to play! Well that urge, once more, is something that is addressed by Namco in Pac-Man World 2. Among the collectible fruits scattered across each of the game's 25 levels (each of which are about 5 minutes long) are tokens. Tokens can be collected and exchanged for classic Pac-Man titles in the Pac-Man World 2 arcade! Collecting sufficient amounts of tokens will grant you access to the original Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Attack, Pac-Mania, AND brand new 3D mazes that play the same as the original Pac-Man, but were designed especially for Pac-Man World 2. Nothing like a new spin on an old game, especially when you can play the old and new games back to back!

Pac-Man World 2 is a damn fun platformer whose bright colors and surprisingly good music will bring you back to gameplay you may have thought you'd seen the last of many years ago. I'd recommend to Crash Bandicoot, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pac-Man fans, as well as fans of platformers that emphasize collectibles, as there are quite a lot of them in this game. If nothing else has convinced you, if you see it in the store, it will have a $3 price tag and I say that it is fun. Isn't that enough?

Sequels

I've been listening to a band called Autopilot Off recently. They fucking rock and they entered my life the same way some of my all time favorite bands did in the past. Goldfinger, System of a Down, Less Than Jake, Bodyjar, Cauterize, Crush 40, and Autopilot Off were all introduced to me via the video game. When ever I think about certain bands, such as the bands I listed above, sometimes I get brought back to the game that exposed me to that music. In which game did I really learn about Autopilot Off? SSX 3.

So I turned on SSX 3 again for the first time since the middle of the summer today because I wanted to listen to some Autopilot Off and maybe because it just snowed the other day and it was appropriate. After a whole bunch of racing and freestyle runs, I started thinking something rather treasonous:

SSX Tricky or SSX 3?

I think SSX 3 is a better game than SSX Tricky. There. I won't be clever and wait until the end of the whole fucking post before I come out and say it. I love both SSX Tricky and SSX 3, but I prefer SSX 3 over the former. The main question that I ask myself is the following: Why is it that SSX Tricky is the game that I find more people talking about when I feel that SSX 3 is a better game? Unfortunately, I don't have the energy to actually determine the answer to that question, but what I can do is compare the two games so you guys can decide for yourselves. SSX Tricky or SSX 3?

So here we go. The SSX series is a series of snowboarding racing games made by EA Big. There are several installments in the series, including 3 for the Nintendo Gamecube and at least 1 for the Wii (I don't claim to be an expert on Wii....yet). Based on the conversations I have with my friends both at home and at college (so you can tell I am getting a really wide range of people here), it would seem that SSX Tricky is the more popular game. For that reason, it must be the better game! SSX Tricky is an AMAZING game that kept my younger self entertained for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time, but I am not certain if it matches up with SSX 3, personally. I suppose I'll start off by discussing the features both games have in common.

SSX Tricky and SSX 3 both offer 2 main types of single and multiplayer player modes: Race and Showoff/Freestyle (Showoff  in Tricky and Freestyle in 3. They're the same thing.) Race mode has you blasting down huge snowy mountains as fast as you can in an attempt to get from the beginning of the course to the end of the course in less time than it takes your opponent. That's how a race works. Showoff/Freestyle is a mode where you basically have the entire course as your own personal skatepark. You start at the top of whatever course you want, and try to score as many points as you can by doing all sorts of different crazy tricks before you cross the finish line. Each game has several different courses to board on. Each game has an upgrading system where you will get to choose which of your rider's stats you wish to increase, and the abundance of these opportunities increases depending on how brutally you kick your opponent's ass during the race. There are many different boards with all different stats for you to unlock AND there are different clothing options for each character that are purely cosmetic.

So both games have the same basic formula. And I'm not kidding, like, they are pretty much the same idea. Same equation and formula. No risk taken from Tricky to 3. This presents us with a unique opportunity where we can just literally compare the two games track by track, move by move. It's not like comparing Super Smash Bros. Melee's Adventure Mode to Brawl's Subspace Emissary, where they are completely different but are forced to be compared. SSX Tricky and SSX 3 have so much in common that it is incredibly easy and natural feeling to compare the two. It is a case like Minute Maid lemonade vs. Country Time lemonade where we can just say "This is better because I like it more." So. Obviously the games aren't EXACTLY the same, they just function the same. They look different, feel different, and play differently despite their concepts being akin. So we only have a couple of different things to compare, and a side by side comparison would be most efficient.

Let's start with the characters. Pretty much the same characters give or take a few newbies added to SSX 3 from SSX Tricky. Personally, I feel that the updated graphics that come with a game being newer does wonders for the SSX 3 character roster. It looks better since it is the same art style, and because it is newer. Visual appeal goes to SSX 3. Also, IM SORRY, but as much as everyone loved the announcer (Rozell?) in Tricky, SSX 3 has a real soundtrack complete with the auto-synching feature. Which means like, if in these rock songs, normally, there is a quiet section, then that quiet section is going to be played while you're in a dark cave. Then once you come shooting out of that cave, the chorus of that song is going to slam through the TV speakers, and the best part of the song is going to be pumping through while you're high in the air about to land and shit all over your opponents. Like how music is in a cheesy summer-movie made in the 90s? That's what SSX 3 does. Sound goes to SSX 3 as well.

Courses. Perhaps the tracks in SSX Tricky are more memorable. Maybe this is the result of nostalgia or because I've spent more hours total playing Tricky when compared to 3. I do feel that there was less emphasis on the course designs in 3. They don't feel lazy, in fact, they really are awesome. But, like, for example, the name of each course in SSX Tricky is blown thrown the TV speakers every time you select one. In SSX 3, they are not. And because in SSX 3, you can technically access a majority of the courses from an open-world-ish hub, you may play many courses without even knowing their names. Perhaps what I am trying to avoid saying is that even though the courses in SSX 3 are really damn fun, they do all kind of look the same - just a bunch of snow and a bunch of ramps. Fun, but I mean, Tricky has Tokyo Megaplex on its side....courses go to Tricky.

Finally, with a 1 to 1 score, we have how the game feels. Tricky does an amazing job of incorporating the element of doing tricks with the controls that can feel button-mashy but work, into a game that is not necessarily always about doing tricks. Maybe you'll want to tone the showoff inside of you down while you're ripping through tougher courses in SSX Tricky. This is because in Tricky, accidentally performing tricks you never wanted to do happens often and can REALLY fuck you up. It is very easy to accidentally stop performing your front flips (for example) while you're upside down. So like, you're blasting through a course, and a surprise ramp pops up from out of no where. Because you didn't see the ramp until it was too late, you're still holding up on the control stick, because holding up on the control stick makes you accelerate when you're on the ground. BUT in the air, holding up makes you flip, kinda. So before you know it, you're upside down, you're in the air, and you're about to eat shit and once you do, it's over. Time to press Restart. SSX 3 completely fixed this problem. In SSX 3, you automatically complete your flips every time they are executed. It's like the bottom of your board is magnetized to the snow. It makes doing double front flips on flat ground possible, but who cares how unrealistic that is? If you're going to spam tricks all day during the race, you're going to lose anyway. The point is that SSX 3 has solved the one problem SSX Tricky had with its trick system- you pretty much automatically land them every time. You still have to avoid hitting trees and stuff, but there is no bullshit when doing the tricks; each one can be performed with confidence. With the installation of SSX 3, the SSX series has finally worked out every kink in the system that links doing tricks to going fast, and for that, SSX 3 takes the best-feeling trophy.

Looks like SSX 3 wins 2 to 1. Of course, this is all just my opinion. I cannot discredit the volunteer opinions of my friends - SSX Tricky MUST be an awesome game since so many people always want to play it when they see that it is in my library. I couldn't resist getting the sequel because I was curious, but perhaps some of you may join my side one day. SSX 3 I do believe is only 5 or so dollars on Amazon. Enjoy, and don't forget that whether it is in a game or in real life, yellow snow is piss. Don't eat it.

Introducing: What's Good With That Game?

So first, a little prologue: I was getting a little bored with the Playground Series, so I decided to start a second series called What's Good With That Game. Allow me to state that the Playground Series, my series of reviews of games that meet certain qualifications, WILL continue, but will coexist with What's Good With That Game. WGWTG was conceptualized so that I could continue writing while I play new games. In the past, I've had to take breaks from writing in order to play new games to write about, but that sucks and WGWTG should create more opportunities for me to write without increasing the amount of time between each post.
What's Good With That Game will be an archetype of posts where I will describe a game that I have started playing only recently, and haven't finished yet. In each post, I will describe my initial feelings about the game, progress so far, what I am expecting, and what I didn't expect. Inspired by my friends all asking me "so what do you think of this game so far?" I imagine that this series is going to be a lot of fun, so I am more than excited to launch my first post right now. So get ready, because this next series is going to be so prime.

What's Good With That Game: Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime. This game's legacy extends beyond that of Halo, Gears of War, and Call of Duty, as it's debut from 2D to 3D made the jaws of players not only drop to the floor, but break through to the earth and pop out the other side of the planet. Much like how The Legend of Zelda switched from 2D to 3D on the Nintendo 64, the Metroid Series transcended dimensions on the Nintendo Gamecube. Frightened fans awaited the release of that tiny little disc and when they finally summoned the courage to start up their Gamecube's with the new game inside, they were spellbound. Samus Aran in 3D. It was amazing. Graphics, gameplay, story, depth, length, feel, controls. It's no wonder why I saw it's name make on of the top 3 spots on each and every list of Best Gamecube Games I came across. So why am I playing it for the first time at age 19, and not 10? Well, the reasons are as good as they are bad.

The game is deep. REALLY deep. The game is all story mode, much like Legend of Zelda, but the story is never explained to you. In fact, learning the story is almost optional. Keeping in mind that I am only about 20 percent through the game, it seems that the actual story behind Metroid Prime is contained in text scattered throughout the world Samus is exploring. In addition to each of Samus' weapons one may observe by playing Super Smash Bros, she has a myriad of abilities more geared towards exploration. One of these abilities is a scanner. Entering Scanner Vision will enable you, as the player, to scan different objects, enemies, and terrains in order to learn more about them. Often, the information gained by scanning is obvious, for example, when it comes to enemies, but other times, sections of terrain, buildings, and walls can be scanned. The information pulled from these locations sometimes is ancient Chozo writing translated by Samus. Reading this deciphered text is key to understanding the story, but is easy to miss. If you do miss these opportunities, then gameplay will still be fun, but you will lose a dimension of depth. After about a half hour of playing, I started asking myself "You know, running around shooting things is fun as fuck, but what the hell am I here for?" It wasn't until I started to make a habit of scanning my surroundings was I able to begin to understand the small puzzle pieces of the story. Once I realized that THAT is how the story was being told, I fell in love. 20% in, and I am in love with this game. It would appear that instead of spoon-feeding you the story via cutscenes, this game is making the player seek the story out. Every time I enter a new room, I become ecstatic at the possibility of learning more about the story. So basically, to answer my question asked about half-a-rant ago, this game didn't appeal to me as a child because there was a lot of reading, a lot of uncertainty of where to go next, and I didn't quite see the game for what it was.

So I am 20% into the game, and I am only putting it down to go to class or wipe my ass. I LOVE it. Next is a bit about what I didn't expect, and what I am expecting from now on.

I did not expect to like this game so much. I thought it was going to be too difficult for me, too boring, too dragged out. AND I thought I would hate it because it is in 1st person. I do NOT like first person games. In my most recent years, I have learned to appreciate 1st person cameras very occasionally (Mirror's Edge), but generally, they are not my cup of tea. Now that I am playing a 1st person Metroid game, I cannot see it working any other way. The whole idea of Metroid Prime (as far as I can foresee) is to keep the player guessing what is going to come next. It is not supposed to be mysterious in a creepy way, rather it is supposed to be mysterious in a magical way - in a way akin to the feeling you got when you were a little kid reading a Disney book. You would fall in love with all of the pictures and words on one page, then when you turn that page to see more, you are even more awestruck then you were on the previous page. That's how Metroid Prime is so far. By the way, ten years old and the graphics are only slightly worse than anything I've ever seen in a Halo game. For that reason, I have come to the conclusion that this game ages marvelously. Anyway, I didn't expect the game to be so multidimensional. There are so many layers to it, as I touched upon while describing the method by which you gathered the story. The controls are tight, the graphics are beautiful, and the depth is so appropriate.

20% into the game, I understand that even though this game is supposed to be amazing, maybe even the best on the Gamecube, games have flaws- even the best ones. I anticipate that the game might eventually feel a little dragged out, predictable, formulaic, and perhaps some longer sections may start to blend together. It would appear, so far, that the formula for this game is similar to that of Legend of Zelda, but without the dungeons. What I mean is that you seem to guide Samus through a medium-length section of the world, she'll find a new power-up which will allow you to progress further into the world, and occasionally, you'll fight a boss. It is not boring yet, but it may become, as I already stated, formulaic and predictable. I hope that I am wrong about my anticipation, but these kinds of issues are found all over the gaming world, especially with really good games. Legend of Zelda is the best example.

I have found 1 Chozo artifact. I wonder what they do and how they will work into the story. There's no questioning how they influence the gameplay - you will have to find all of them without the game just handing them to you periodically throughout the game, but their influence on the story is something that I am very excited to witness. Sections of the game require something called a Spider Ball. I can't wait to get that because it sounds so cool.

My incompletion of this game is essentially why I decided to terminate my Top Ten Favorite Gamecube Games series- because I understand that no list is complete without it, so once I finish this game, be on the lookout for a full review. Until then, Ill keep you updated with posts regarding my progress. Wish me luck!

Playground Series Number 4: "Hmph"

Originally, this post was going to be named "Hidden Gem" but I realized that a lot of you who will read about this next game will probably be sitting at your computer at 3a.m. with the potato chips in hand thinking only "hmph". Not in a bad way at all, I just imagine that very little people have played this game. Admittedly, this is a little bit more of an obscure title. Not obscure like P.N.03 where it is at least interesting, but obscure because it is very easy to overlook. With no immediate indications of what the game has in store, I can imagine someone looking at the rack of Gamecube games at your nearest Play N Trade and not even giving this game a first thought, let alone a second one. Despite that, this is truly one of the best racing games I've ever played, and to be honest, this is my god damn blog - I can write whatever I want.

ATV: Quad Power Racing 2

First of all, I am aware that there is an ATV: Quad Power Racing for the Playstation, but I never played it, so I can't and won't compare the two. Let's move the hell on.

ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 is an ATV racing game that features a myriad of different game modes, great graphics, great music and sound effects, and an incredibly not obtrusive upgrading system. The controls are passible (usually pretty tight) and the difficulty is fair for a racing game. Racing games are an interesting realm of video games. Often, hardcore gamers pass over racing titles because the gameplay can be predictable. What do these gamers predict? That in order to complete the game, you will race over many different tracks and come in first. When you beat one track, you will unlock the next one until you have beaten them all. That's how a race works. You dumb animal.
Well certainly, there is no arguing there. In ATV:QPR2, you will race across many different tracks with the goal to come in first in order to advance to the next track. It is however, the numerous different ways to play this title via the different game modes that make this game's replay value shoot through the ceiling more than the Koolaid guy with walls. So let's discuss them at least briefly. First off is Career mode, pretty typical to any racing game. Oh yeah, I guess the point of this post is to convince you how ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 is different/better than other racers. Okay Career mode. The object of this mode is to race and perform well enough on each track to advance to the next track. Simple. Notably, the Career mode is a very decent length that already earns this game a plus over other racers, but that's not all that's going on here. The first thing you do when you turn on this game is name your own character. The customizability is virtually non-existent which blows, but you learn to love what you have. This character you name is your character during Career mode, and is available to play as in other game modes. The point of having your own personal character is that it gives you the almost necessary opportunity to upgrade your racer as you play. Throughout every game mode, you can perform tricks - 20 (or something) total not including flips and spins. When a trick is landed, your boost meter fills. Using boost during a race increases
your speed temporarily, and in a racing game, it is always necessary to go fast. Why am I telling you this? Because the entire idea behind upgrading your character is not only increasing his racing stats, but increasing his knowledge of tricks. As your character ranks up from Newbie to Master, he learns new tricks that can be performed during a race. If a more difficult trick is landed, you will be rewarded with a larger amount of boost, and a greater amount of points compared to that yielded by a more basic trick. Basically, the more your character is upgraded, the better your tricks are. The better your tricks are, the more boost you have, and the faster you go. I mentioned before that the upgrading was non-obtrusive. What I mean by this is that the upgrading system feels very synergistic with the gameplay.  Usually, upgrading is associated with games that use swords or strength or magic or skills that should be improves over time. It seems odd for a racing game to use concepts that are atypical to it's genre, but ATV:QPR 2 really threads the two ideas together seamlessly. If you perform well during a race, your character will upgrade. If you kick your opponents off of their rides, your character's Strength ability will increase, the game way slaying a dragon in other games will increase your sword's power.

I am not going through every damn game mode, but I will mention them briefly:
*Arcade Mode - Race through every track one after another (15 total) without loosing. It is a simplified Career Mode
*Single Race - Choose to play 1 track 1 time
*Freestyle - Compete on a separate Arena-like stage and perform as many tricks as you can in order to achieve the highest score within a certain amount of time
*Challenge - Drive through various obstacle courses and complete them all within a certain amount of time. Don't mistake this for some kiddie bullshit - these jungle-gym stages will make you rip your fingers off.
*Time Trial - Complete each track as fast as you can. Your time is recorded for later reference
*Custom - Select up to 5 tracks in order to create your own personal Grand Prix
*Multiplayer - Race with up to 4 of ya friends
*Academy - the tutorial levels

After Career, the game modes are pretty straight forward, but are all rewarding. You see, my little blog fans, unlike lazy games, there is quite the incentive to complete every game mode. Even if it's not difficult, every game mode, yes even the tutorial, must be completed in order to 100% the game. Most of the unlockables are additional ATVs with different stats affecting their ability to race, but they are all good, and worth having. This kind of game forces you to squeeze every bit of life out of it. There are no modes that you can neglect if you really wish to unlock every ATV, and complete the game. The point is that although the main focal point of this game is the racing, as it is a racing game, there are so many more ways to play it if you get bored of racing before you get bored of the sound of a revving engine.

Speaking of sound, this is something worth a brief mention. This game's music and sound effects will make your ears leap off of your head and hug the T.V. Yes, I am being dramatic, but alas, I have almost 1000 views on this blog. How many do you have? That's right, eat shit. Moving on. Ironically to my previous comments regarding the sound, the soundtrack of this game is small. Like, REALLY small. There are only 6 songs in the whole thing. However, you have to realize that it's not a Tony Hawk game. You will only listen to about 75% of a song per race and you will only play about, I don't know, 6 races before you turn off the game for the night. So really, although it may seem like you will get sick of hearing the same songs over and over, you won't unless you don't like the music. To be frank, I learned about some of my favorite bands from this game. Tom Delonge's Boxcar Racer is featured in this game, as well as punk rock's very own The Reunion Show and Midtown. Complementary to the great tunes, is a bangin' engine sound effect. I will admit, I didn't learn to appreciate it until my Dad started to play and fucked with my sound effects, but eventually, I grew some balls and learned to love the sound of a great engine. Aurally, this game is an absolute pleasure.

To wrap it up, this ATV racing game does a great job of extending it's own life in a refreshing splash of off roading goodness. It does lack the customizability of other ATV racing games, but I found that it didn't affect the gameplay, although I will penalize for that offense. The large collection of game modes keeps you coming back for more, even if you don't feel like racing, and the fact that there are unlockables around every corner ensures your playing of every mode this game has to offer. And finally, I forgot to mention explicitly that you can kick other riders off of their ATVs during a race. Multiplayer perfection.

Score: 79/10
+30 points for just being a damn fun racing game
+30 points for all of the different game modes that are not "basically the same thing as the main game" *coughSoulCalibur4cough*
+10 points for the innovative upgrading systems during the Career mode
+9   points for the great audio/visual appeal
- 15 points for the absence of customizability throughout the game
- 5   points for some repetitive courses/gameplay during the Career/Arcade modes
- 1   points for slightly sloppy controls regarding the execution of tricks

Playground Series 1: Most Underrated Gamecube Game

I welcome you all to my first post in the Playground Series! The details regarding my next series of posts can be found in my last post, so if you're confused about what I am doing for a little bit, please scroll down to check it. But then scroll up because this next review is simply out of this world.

Funny story about this next game- literally, I think the entire world is split 50-50 about this title. For every one of my friends who claimed to love this game, another one claimed to hate it. Furthermore, everyone seems to have played it when they were "little" and they ALL got stuck early in the game and retired it to the shelf of forgotten games. Amateurs, I say, as they've all missed a classic gaming experience due to the ignorance of youth. I wanted to get you guys excited about my next series, so I start with this first title:

Starfox Adventures
OKAY WAIT DON'T CLICK AWAY YET.

Yes. I am perfectly aware of how people feel about this game, as I have already stated. Some people love it, and others hate it. To me, the reason why the audience is so divided when it comes to this game is quite obvious, but before I get to that, I must reveal a dark fact about this game, and before I get to THAT, I will talk to the non-video gamers for a second-
When it comes to Starfox Adventures, all you need to know is that you run around as a humanoid fox, named Fox, and you help dinosaurs thwart the attempts that antagonist General Scales makes at taking over the universe. In past Starfox games, Fox, and his team of fighter pilots, shot the shit out of things in their badass fighter space-jets and it was fucking cool. Has anyone ever told you to "DO A BARREL ROLL"? They were referencing Starfox, and don't tell me they weren't.

So Starfox 64, for the Nintendo 64, featured fighter-planes, and Starfox Adventures for the Gamecube featured nagging dinosaurs. Why are these games so different? Because Starfox Adventures was never meant to be a Starfox game. THAT'S RIGHT. Originally, the protagonist of a game called Dinosaur Planet was supposed to be a humanoid fox who coincidentally resembled Fox McCloud, but was a different fox altogether. Nintendo caught an earful of this concept and stepped in basically saying if any humanoid foxes are going to be in a video game, they're going to be Fox McCloud. So a quick rethinking of the game's concept put Fox McCloud as the protagonist of Dinosaur Planet, and thus, we have Starfox Adventures - A very atypical Starfox game.

This is where the audience splits. The fans of Starfox 64 could not find it in their hearts to replace
Arwings with Dinosaurs, a Blaster with a magical Staff, and a team of trusty fighter pilots with dinosaurs. To be honest, fair enough, as this is a HUGE transition. But those who could get over the overhaul (and buy a copy of Starfox Assault to ease out of their withdrawal) were exposed to an entirely new and beautiful adventure of Starfox. Absolutely this game is no traditional Starfox game, but is it a bad game? No. It is just different than what most players wanted and expected.
This game is rarely seen on any list of best video games, whether that list is on Gamespot or in someone's heart. I suspect that the reason for this exclusion is because this game is rarely seen for what it actually is- a Legend of Zelda game.

This game does not in anyway really feel like a Starfox game. That is basically the thesis statement of this review. But it is important to understand that the differences between Starfox Adventures and Starfox 64 ultimately become the similarities between Starfox Adventures and every single Legend of Zelda game of all time. Legend of Zelda? Like that game that is pretty much considered to be one of the greatest video game franchises of all time? Yes. Yes, like THAT game. So how is it possible for a game like Starfox Adventures to be bad, when it is exactly like Legend of Zelda, which stands as an amazing game? The answer: It's NOT possible. For those dumbfounded by my claims, here are some similarities between the two:
-During the first play-through of both Starfox Adventures (and we'll say Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), you are rarely 100% sure of where to go next. Figuring out where your next objective is to be completed is never impossible, but is usually challenging.
-Both games feature non-linear gameplay with a linear story. (Ocarina of Time is a bad example of this, but shut up.)
-Both games feature dungeon-like sections, where the player is forced to navigate through long strings puzzles and enemies in order to reach the end and collect some kind of item or complete some kind of goal.
-Items and upgrades are obtained and necessary in order to progress forward through the game.
-Both games feature an NPC who assists you through the game.
-The combat systems of both games, from attacking to defending, are nearly identical.
-The combat systems of both games (fighting in general) is necessary to use to the same extent.
-Both games sport similar difficulties.
-Both games sport similar lengths and replay value.

Honestly, I can't believe that no one ever told me about this before. Both my brother and I have agreed that this game plays like all Legend of Zelda games, and that that became obvious after about 15% into the game. Upon having this epiphany, we each found playing the game to be much easier and enjoyable. Being that my brother and I are both avid Zelda fans, realizing that we were playing a closet Legend of Zelda game gave us a better idea of what clues to look for, and which items and weapons to use while navigating each level. It is my inference that says typical Starfox fans will find themselves unprepared for the challenge of this game, but experienced Zelda fans will be perfectly equipped to tackle and enjoy Starfox Adventures.

I feel simply that this game is underrated because most of the gamers who played this game turned out to be disappointed Starfox 64 fans. Fans of the Metroid and Legend of Zelda series would undoubtedly receive this game better. All in all, if you love Starfox, don't play this game. If you love Zelda, you don't want to miss this one.

I realize this post was more of a discussion rather than a review, but if you must know, I'd give this game a 9/10.
-9.0 points are achieved by this game's general difficulty, tight controls, non-repetitive gameplay, length, and of course, how fun it is.
-1.0 points are lost because at times, the soundtrack can be weak, some of the puzzles can be a little too annoying, and there is a severe underdevelopment of the characters.

The Next Big Step

So because I feel so bad for blue-balling you guys when it came to my list of Gamecube games, I decided I am simply going to build a playground out of this blog. This time next week, I am going to upload at least 5 new reviews of games that each fit a certain qualification. These 8 topics are, in my opinion:
Most Overrated Gamecube Game
Most Underrated Gamecube Game
Overlooked Gamecube Game
Hidden Gem
Best Game Under 10 Dollars
Best Game Still Over 40 Dollars
...What The Fuck?
Wild Card

I am truly excited (and this time, capable) when it comes to approaching these topics. Keep in mind, the Wild Card will be one game that I choose from my collection at random. It could be anything from Super Smash Bros. Melee, to Mary Kate and Ashley, so brace yourselves.

Also remember that I will from now on be using a grading system, and a pros and cons list when discussing each game. I feel like this will contribute to a more accurate description of my feelings of each game. Remember to click that shit this time next week.

Finally, I've decided to occasionally post other relevant video game things among the archives of my blog in addition to my reviews. In case you missed it, I highly recommend a website I discovered recently. Be sure to check out http://www.howlongtobeat.com/ in order to figure out where your money is best spent.

Scroll down to see if you've missed anything, and of course, contact me to recommend a review or game. PEACE.

Top Ten Favorite Gamecube Games: Number 6

As promised, I did say at the beginning of this series that my list was going to be the result of intense research and Gamecube experience. As you have seen already, my list is a good mix of classics and curveballs, but this next game just hits a homerun like no other game does. Though it may not be my number 1 game of all time, it is definitely the first game I would recommend to anyone looking to play something that would make you think "how the hell has no one ever heard of this before?!" And that game is Lost Kingdoms 2.

6) Lost Kingdoms 2
Never heard of it...

Ill try to be concise- In Lost Kingdoms 2, you play as an attractive young rebel named Tara. Tara is part of a nomadic group of freedom fighters who basically just drift. Tara is in possession of a runestone. A runestone is a mystical device that allows it's user to bring the images of monsters printed on magical decks of cards to life. Once these creatures are brought to life, they only obey the owner of the runestone by which they were summoned. Each creature has a different ability and capability to defend Tara from the threats of wild monsters or other runestone holders. In Lost Kingdoms 1, the type of runestone that Tara has could be found more commonly, but by the time that Lost Kingdoms 2 occurs (approximately 100 years after LK1), "original" runestones, like Tara's, were almost extinct. The runestones found most commonly in LK2 are man-made and are admittedly pretty shitty, as they are unable to control monsters flawlessly. So what happens when you have a beautiful young lady in possession of a weapon that almost everyone wants? You have a damn good video game on your hands, that's what.

Okay gameplay. This game features a hubmap. What is that? It is basically a menu where you are shown a map of the world you are playing through and at any point during the game, you can select to play through the next level in the story, or a level that you have already completed. Basically it means that once you complete level 4, you can either play the newly unlocked level 5, or you can replay level 4, 3, 2, or 1. Why would you want to do that? Because it may be that items you acquire in level 5 may help you beat level 1 easier. This type of gaming is called "non-linear gameplay". It is when you are encouraged to backtrack through previously completed levels in search of items that you may have missed the first time around. It really can make or break a game, but Lost Kingdoms 2 puts very little pressure on you to backtrack through long and difficult levels, so you never feel like you HAVE to search every inch of the level, because honestly, in this game, if you miss a treasure chest or two, it will never hinder your ability to play.

Anyway, with this hub map in mind, I will explain the adventure/RPG elements of the game.
Essentially, the entire point of the game is to navigate each level entirely. Each level is shaped like a small open world with relatively simple puzzles that you must solve in order to continue on. However, during your navigation, you are very often attacked by large collections of wild monsters who stand between you and your to-be-solved puzzles or between you and the end of the level. So how do you fight them? With monsters of your own! Tara's weapon of choice in Lost Kingdoms 2 is a collection of up to 30 monsters that she can use to solve puzzles, navigate levels, and fight other monsters. These monsters are contained within a deck of cards. Tara has the power to release monsters sealed within her deck of cards in order to defend herself against really almost anything. This is the appeal of the game. What makes this game different from other adventure games- your weapon, the deck.

So I said that Tara wields a deck of cards during the game. Did I mention that you get to build her deck yourself? That's right, in order to play this game successfully, YOU, the player, need to assemble a deck of 30 cards. You get to choose from hundreds of different cards, all with different strengths and attributes and effects during battle. This customizability to a fan of adventure games is equivalent to you being able to choose not only your sword in a game, but it's length, width, weight, grip, color, material, bust size, favorite food, flavor, and favorite Super Smash Bros. character.
Customizability is something that a lot of adventure games really lack, and the way Lost Kingdoms 2 counters this issue within the genre is by giving you a weapon that REQUIRES customization. You make the deck your own as you become familiar and in love with the cards that YOU chose to use. You can also make up to 10 different decks, and change from deck to deck between levels. Getting bored of using the same cards? Switch them up for an entirely different style of playing! As each card is used during the level, it gains experience. Collecting experience for cards grants you several different opportunities. The first thing you can do with an "experienced" card, is make a copy of it. Do you really love 1 card specifically? Well how much do you think you're going to love TWO of them? Moreover, you can exchange experience collected on a card in order to upgrade that card to an even stronger card. Love your Baby Dragon card? Well with enough experience, that Baby Dragon can be upgraded to a fully realized Zombie Dragon! The upgrading system is also completely optional, although it is encouraged. Just like any other game, you will be demanded to keep your weapons strong enough to handle the enemies being thrown at you. Your weak monsters that may have cut it in the beginning of the game won't necessarily be as effective towards the end, but as you use your cards, they can either be replaced by buying better cards at the Card Shop, or upgraded to stronger cards for free. As you may have realized, the ability to customize your very weapon makes for completely unique gaming experiences. The near limitless ability to customize your shit establishes the guarantee that no two play-throughs will ever be the same.

I love side quests. I think they separate those who play a game from those who are hardcore fans of the game. Have you ever heard of a Legend of Zelda fan "casually" get the Biggeron's Sword? NO! Lost Kingdoms has 6 different hidden levels. These levels are uncovered by completing optional tasks throughout the main, required levels. For example, defeating a hidden boss in the Forest level, without being asked to, will unlock the Sacred Battle Arena. The completion of these hidden levels either unlocks new and powerful cards for you to harness, or dark opportunities for you to enhance your gaming experience. You see, I don't want to give anything anyway, but if you complete the difficult level known as "Sacred Battle Arena 1" and "Sacred Battle Arena 2", then you will be given the (literally) once in a life-time chance to upload every card you've collected in Lost Kingdoms 1 into Lost Kingdoms 2. A game-to-game copying and gaining of cards EXCLUSIVE to the original game? Incredible. Just damn incredible, and MUCH cooler than getting an "Achievement" on the XBOX 360.

In order to beat it completely, this game took me about 16 hours of playing. Not bad, especially
nowadays. The length of the game combines with the game's difficulty level in order to assure that no hardcore gamer is able to just blast through this title in 2 hours. You see, Tara can only summon monsters if she has a sufficient supply of magic power stored up. If your magic meter has 8 magic in it, and you summon a monster that requires 6 magic, then you have 2 magic left over for your next monster. However, if you have 6 magic and you summon a monster that requires 10, then your magic reserves will be depleted, and the rest will come out of your health. Magic stones restore your supply of magic, but they are usually only found of you strike another enemy (Imagine Coin Battle in Super Smash Bros. Melee). So in order to collect magic stones to refill your magic meter, you must use a combination of monsters that require small amounts of magic and monsters who require large amounts of magic. Typically, the stronger the monster, the more magic it requires, so it is up to you to build a deck that always has an ample supply of magic at hand because if you run out of magic, each monster you summon will take a chunk out of your health. This feature sets the difficulty level of this game at about a 3.5/5.

TL,DR- Lost Kingdoms 2 is a refreshing spin on the classic adventure game. You will spend hours customizing your "weapon" and even more time using it to explore levels and fight other monsters. It's fun and takes strategy, and even a little bit of time in order to beat this game. It has very high replay value, and I will recommend it until the day I die.