Kid Icarus: Uprising - Sorry to keep you waiting!!

Kid Icarus: Uprising - Nintendo 3DS

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a 3rd person shooter / rail shooter released for the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. Immediately upon launch, the game was met both with ruthless criticism and professional acclaim. 25 years separates this sequel from the franchises' original 1986 installment and as a result, both games are radically different.

But different, in this case, is awesome. Though the NES Kid Icarus took the form of a vertical platformer, featuring our protagonist, Pit, jumping to scroll up and down to complete levels, Kid Icarus: Uprising features Pit soaring through the skies, shooting down soldiers of the Underworld Army, and using Mega Lasers, explosions, and swords to defeat famous mythological bosses over the course of 25 levels. The game employs fully 3D models, has bright colors, a consistent frame-rate, impressively adjustable difficulty levels, an appealing interface, a variety of game modes including multiplayer, customizable weapons and ability configurations, a good length, high replay value, cute dialogue, likable characters, beautifully crafted levels, and fun gameplay that should be appreciated both in long and short play-sessions.

Wow. That's a lot of good things. How is it that this game hasn't got everyone foaming at the 3DS-game-deprived mouth? 1 thing: the controls.

The controls of Kid Icarus: Uprising are really the only thing that keeps the game from perfection. Stay with me here as I describe them.

You have two different sections of every mission: Air and Ground. The air sections are on rails, so your flight path is taken care of for you, but dodging enemy fire is your own responsibility. Use the Circle Pad to dodge and move. Great. Shoot and attack with the L button. Strange that attack is not A, B, X, or Y, but whatever. Fine. Circle Pad and L. Now aim by sliding your stylus on the touch-screen- an action that uses up the entirety of your right hand. While on the ground, everything is the same, but camera is controlled by flicking the touch screen, much like how you would spin a globe to rotate it, and you use the circle pad to move through the levels as you would in a typical action game.

Basically, in order to really aim effectively with your right hand on the touch screen, you must hold your heavy 3DS in your left hand alone. This can be uncomfortable. And dumb. It really does take away from the experience. Everything offered in Kid Icarus: Uprising is crafted with extreme attention to detail and with mastery of game design in general, but the hand-fatiguing controls will inhibit you from playing more than one or two levels at a time.

DISCLAIMER: the controls can be changed in order for aiming to be performed with the ABXY buttons, but while this is way more comfortable, it is slower, less accurate, and less responsive.

The controls are disabling enough to warrant considerable score reductions for Uprising, but they do not make this game bad. Kid Icarus: Uprising is still a fantastic shooter overflowing with Nintendo charm, but it is nearly impossible to play for long stretches of time, which is a huge bummer. When a game is this good, it is disappointing and frustrating to have it physically hurt to play. Still, during the moments without discomfort, I argue that Uprising is a masterpiece. Simply put, it is a hard sell: if you can get past being unable to play this title for more than 30 minutes at a time, you'll love it; if you're looking for something to relax with and play for hours and hours on, say, a long car ride, Uprising is not for you.

Mega Man II

As a member of the Long Island Retro Video Game community, I constantly find myself surrounded by older gamers discussing the glory of their older games. Many of these veteran gamers I know grew up on the Nintendo Entertainment System the same way I grew up on the Gamecube. I have spent a lot of time discussing why Gamecube games are still a fun option for the gamer with nothing else to play, but what about the titles my fellow retro gamers grew up on? What about the classics?

Mega Man II originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System on December 24, 1988 (24th? REALLY? Hahahahahahahahaha). This game is considered not only to be one of the best games sold on the console, but one of the best action games of all time.
Already we have a problem.

This game came out almost 30 years ago and I still hear people praising it for its quality. I encourage thee to realize, when discussing games, that there is an enormous difference between a title that is perfect, a title that is perfect considering its age, and a title that actually stands the test of time. Having never played Mega Man II before, I decided to investigate; is this game actually good, or does nostalgia play too big of a factor when discussing Mega Man II?

Mega Man II - NES/ Nintendo 3DS

Okay no need to dance around this: Mega Man II is fantastic. It totally stands the test of time. Which is awesome! Because that means that the opinion of older gamers is still valuable to us young-punk gamers who think we know everything about what makes a good game.

The magic of Mega Man II comes in the form of variety. MMII is broken up into 10 levels, each with a different tactical and aesthetic theme. Not only do each of the 10 levels feature different colors, enemies, and music, but they each demand totally different playing strategies. At the end of each of the 5-8 minute (if you die as often as I do) levels, is a boss fight. None of the bosses are too hard, though they certainly provide a fair challenge. Once each boss is defeated, Mega Man gains a new ability, usually a new offensive or tactical weapon. Essentially, the more bosses you defeat, the stronger you become.

The most remarkable aspect of this collection of levels is that the player is free to attempt each one in any order they desire. That being said, there are definitely recommended level sequences. You see, each boss you defeat earns you a specific new ability, and some levels are MUCH easier to complete after having been awarded certain specific abilities. So while the player is always free to choose which level they'd like to attempt next, they are also free to determine which weapons they need in order to progress through the game as easily as possible. To some extent, this results in a bit of trial-and-error playing, but it also encourages creativity that runs parallel to the nurturing of your Mega Man skillz.

This side-scrolling shooter/platformer is hard. But not too hard. It's also unfair. But not too unfair. Games of this time period had to be kept small due to hardware limitations, but they also had to have lasting appeal since there were fewer developers to pump out new games every week. An old game had to be kept small, but still last. How do you do that? Make it hard, but not so hard that it will keep people from playing it. Man, what a nightmarish challenge it must have been to get everything just right. Very few games balanced the equation perfectly, but Mega Man II did.

By the end of the 1-2 hour game, not only will Mega Man himself be equipped with a large assortment of different moves and weapons, but you, as the player, will have gained the cleverness needed to use them all when appropriate. The gradual acquisition of each new moves eases players into and out of a gaming experience for which they are required to master each of the title's nuances. Walking away from any game after having mastered the controls feels exhilarating, which is why it is extra sweet that Mega Man II seems to have been designed with this satisfaction in mind. In the end, Mega Man II comes so highly recommended because it leaves the player with the feeling of mastery, fluency, and unrivaled satisfaction.

Metroid Zero Mission

Metroid Zero Mission -
Gameboy Advance 

In the year 2004, two years after the series' debut on the Gameboy Advance with Metroid Fusion, we received a game that would not only be the second Metroid title on the Gameboy Advance, but many gamer's second chance to experience the Metroid series in its original capacity. While Metroid Zero Mission is technically a remake of the original Metroid released on the NES in 1986, it certainly has no problem justifying its own existence. Updated graphics along with the original Metroid in-full now being literally in the palms of your hands are nice touches, but careful consideration must be made when reviewing this retouched game; does the original Metroid still hold up even with meticulous updating, or is this one classic better left back in the 80's?

The story, as is the case with many Metroid games, is easy to understand. Our protagonist, Samus, is sent to Planet Zebes in order to annihilate the mechanism being used by opposing space pirates to build super weapons. With the exception of a few cutscenes added in order to update the feel of the original (at that point) 18 year old game, Metroid Zero Mission pretty much leaves you to explore on your own. Those who have never played a Metroid game before should have no problem entering the series via Zero Mission, as multiple difficulty levels are available to select right from the start, and even on Normal difficulty, the game isn't too challenging.

The difficulty usually associated with the Metroid series stems from the player lacking the intuition necessary in order to figure out where in each of the game's 7 (later, 8) worlds they must explore next. Navigating each room in each environment is simple enough, and the map, upgrades, and new abilities come with the exploration, along with the opportunity to uncover secret passages that more often than not will lead the way to the next area or even to supplementary power-ups such as an increase in missile-storage capacity, or health buffs. Updated graphics borrowing assets and art design from Metroid Fusion are extremely successful in bringing life to the once aging world of Planet Zebes. Hardware limitations of the Gameboy Advance seemed to be no hindrance at all while designing Metroid Zero Mission; from start to finish, Planet Zebes is an absolute pleasure to explore.

Often if a game is too easy, it can become boring. Then again, if a game is too challenging, it can become discouraging. Despite Metroid Zero Mission being a little bit on the easy, and while I'm at it, short side, it does not lack any bit of the magic that gamers have come to expect from other Metroid games. Initially, the map sizes of many of Zero Mission's environments, such as Norfair or Ridley, can feel intimidatingly ambitious. While "intimidating" can often mean "discouraging", as it does in many other games, Zero Mission finds a way around this through building up the confidence of the player by building up the strength of Samus. Small power-ups, such as the Charge Shot, Missiles, Super Missiles, and Morph Ball just to name a few, are awarded frequently, and the types of power-ups obtained are never too similar to the power-up most recently acquired. Missiles and Super Missiles are acquired at opposite ends of the game, as are Morph Ball and Power Bomb, as well as many other similar upgrades. This rapid change in arsenal often supports rapid changes in scenery; if you've just acquired a new weapon, you can expect a new type of area, thus a new type of gameplay.

Unlike most modern Metroid games, Metroid Zero Mission only features 3 boss fights, which is 1 more than the original featured. While Zero Mission does involve a great deal of combat, from blasting small nuisances of enemies to bringing down both Kraid and Ridley, the environments prove themselves to be much more threatening than any monster, especially in the later 20% of the game. Often, the way forward will be shown on the map, but left purposely unclear in the world. Using every weapon to try to blast through every wall in the hopes of revealing a hidden path is a habit that all players of Zero Mission will get into, and even still, will often finish the game far from 100% completion.

Though an average playtime of Zero Mission will probably only last around 3-4 hours, there is plenty of content to be enjoyed after the initial play-through is completed. Finishing the game once will not only unlock Hard mode, but will unlock the original Metroid game which can be played by selecting it in the Options menu. Inputting a certain sequence of buttons on the Options menu of a game file after having completed Normal mode will also unlock Time Attack mode, which will time how quickly you can complete 1 play-through on Normal difficulty.

Metroid Zero Mission is short, being only a little bit longer than the original because of an extra chapter exclusive to this version, and it can be easy if played on Normal or Easy difficulty, especially if this isn't your first Metroid game. Despite this, Metroid Zero Mission is excellent. Everything from the graphics to the tone to the pacing is absolutely wonderful, and the life exuding from Planet Zebes' environments serves as a praise-worthy example of how hardware limitations can be over-come through clever art and carefully considered level-design. Whether you originally played Metroid back in 1986, or have never considered playing Metroid before, Metroid Zero Mission is not only a perfect example of what this series has to offer, but a perfect example of how fun timeless game design can be.

Sonic the Hedgehog

I'm bored! Let's talk about Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Throughout the 30+ years of significant gaming history, the video game world has seen its fair share of console mascots. Between Super Mario, Ratchet and Clank, Spyro the Dragon, and even Pac-Man, perhaps no video game mascot has left a legacy as impressively dramatic as Sonic the Hedgehog. It's no question that Sonic the Hedgehog has fallen off in recent years, but if there is seriously only one thing that my readers know about me, it's that I love Sonic.

I haven't played all of Sonic's tales, but I've played enough to give an interesting top 5 favorite Sonic games. First though, allow me to list what I have played:

Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Collection)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Collection)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Mega Collection)

Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Collection)

Sonic 3D Blast (Mega Collection)

Sonic Spinball (Mega Collection)

Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut (Ported to Gamecube)

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (Ported to Gamecube)

Sonic Advance 2 (GBA)

Sonic Advance 3 (GBA)

Sonic Heroes (Gamecube)

Shadow the Hedgehog (Gamecube)

Sonic Riders (Gamecube)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 (Xbox 360)

Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360)

Sonic Generations (Xbox 360)

Sonic Generations (3DS)

Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii)

Sonic Riders Zero Gravity (Wii)

Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii)

Sonic Colors (Wii)

Sonic Rush (DS)

Sonic Lost World (WiiU)

Sonic Boom Shattered Crystal (3DS)

These are games that I have not necessarily beaten, but games of which I have played enough to understand thoroughly.

Number 5: Sonic Colors 
By the time Sonic Colors was released for the Wii, Sonic fans had already endured the disappointing quality of both Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sonic and the Black Knight for the Wii. We took the announcement of a new Sonic game with copious amounts of salt, but Sonic Colors turned out to be an expertly crafted Sonic game, reminding us first and foremost that above all else, Sonic is meant to go fast. While very much on the short side of games, clocking in at about a 4 - 6 hour Main Story, Sonic Colors introduces new abilities that change up the typical Sonic rhythm without changing the typical Sonic feel.

Number 4: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
I didn't grow up with a Sega Genesis. My first Sonic the Hedgehog game was Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, and it wouldn't be until I was perhaps 10 years old would I learn what Sonic once was. Thanks to Sonic Mega Collection on the Gamecube, I was able to experience all of the classic Sonic titles that came before my time. Among them, Sonic 2 shines the brightest. The levels are more open and faster than those in Sonic 1, and aren't as difficult for younger gamers as they are in Sonic 3. For me, Sonic 2 is a perfect side-scrolling platformer.

Number 3: Sonic Heroes 
I didn't love Sonic Adventure 1 or 2 for the stories, I loved them for the characters. Though most Sonic fans eventually came out to admit that they disliked most of Sonic's friends, I was not part of that crowd. I love Sonic's friends, and Sonic Heroes puts each of them front and center. Sonic Heroes allows you to control a team of 3 Sonic characters at a time, while opting to exclude a vast story in favor of simple gameplay on ingeniously designed levels.

Number 2: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
The Sonic game that started it all for me. Not only did Sonic Adventure 2: Battle have profoundly fun gameplay, it had a killer story and introduced Shadow the Hedgehog: briefly the most popular Sonic characters of all time. Sonic Adventure 2 has everything that makes a game good: gameplay that varied from level to level, cool characters, and a surprisingly deep and emotional story about revenge and nature vs. nurture.

Number 1: Sonic Unleashed 

It is very difficult for me to explain why I love this game. My best college memories have come from playing this game, as one of my best friends on campus and I once spent an entire semester trying to 100% this game, and succeeded, but that isn't the only reason why I love this game so much. Sonic Unleashed had everything Sonic Adventure 2: Battle had (barring Chao), and shot it up with crack-cocaine and adrenaline. Sonic Unleashed features Sonic at both his fastest and his slowest. Different levels become available depending on whether it is night or day time, and while the night time levels feature Sonic playing God of War-like levels, the day time levels are literally the fastest in any Sonic game. They are difficult, but the excitement of completing one of the lightening-fast levels with an S rank is one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever gotten from a video game. Sonic Unleashed made me want to play better, explore the levels for shortcuts, slow down to perfect combos and then speed those combos up. Combine that all with some of Jason Griffith's best voice acting, and some of the best music in any Sonic game, and you have Sonic Unleashed: one of my favorite games of all time.

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. 

The Nintendo Wii

Can we discuss the Nintendo Wii for a second? It's an amazing console. No doubt everyone on planet earth knows what the Wii is, but I wonder how many "serious" gamers have realized the true potential in this console.

I bring my Nintendo Wii, as opposed to my Gamecube, Xbox 360, or WiiU, with me to college each semester; it is so clearly my best option for many reasons, and after having spent the last couple of years playing the Wii to death, I can honestly admit that I would seriously recommend this console to any gamer looking for something different or new to play.

It could be that even after all of these years, you still have a Nintendo Wii tucked away in your attic or basement, gone untouched for the better half of the last 10 years. The Wii fell off from about 2008 - 2012, and considering that console generations only last for about 7 years, it's safe to say that the Wii suffered from a somewhat pre-mature death. Or at least that's what you may think.

First off, I'm going to take a moment to declare that there are so many more great games on the Wii then one might think. You have your Mario Galaxy, Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, Guitar Hero 3, and Smash Bros. Brawl released within the first couple of years of the Wii's life, then everyone else knows about Mario Galaxy 2, Sonic Colors, and Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, but I'm here as always to talk about lesser-known games, and let me say, these following titles are legitimately not only a few of my favorite games on the Wii, but a few of my favorite games of all time:

Kirby's Return to Dreamland

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

Excitebots

Sin and Punishment Star Successor

Pandora's Tower

The Last Story

Six masterfully crafted, must-have games if you own a Wii. All six are unlike anything I had ever played prior, and each are games unlike anything else offered on the 360 or PS3 during the same generation; I'm not saying these games are better than anything on the other consoles, but they hold up by today's standards and offer an inspired and wonderful gaming experience that has yet to be recreated by any other game I've played.

Right off the bat, six games to buy if you still have your Wii hanging around collecting dust BUT catching up on missed games is not exactly where the Wii earns it's $60 grey-market value.
The real hidden feature on the Wii that makes missing it a critical error in my eyes is the Wii's Virtual Console.

The Virtual Console is a free service offered by Nintendo with which one can use their Wii to download retro games for an extremely low price. I'm not talking only Super Mario Bros. to The Legend of Zelda, I'm talking everything from Mario Bros. to Golden Axe, to Megaman 2, then Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past, to Super Metroid, to Super Castlevania IV, to Secret of Mana, to Mega Man X, to Chrono Trigger on the SNES. After that, you've every must-play on the Nintendo 64.

92 titles from the NES - all $5
63 titles from the SNES - all $8
21 titles from the N64 - all $10
73 titles from the Sega Genesis - all $8
59 titles from TurboGrafx 16 - all $6
54 titles from NeoGeo - all $9
15 titles from the Sega Master System - all $5
and then hundreds of games released for download-only such as Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Megaman 10

What must be understood about the Virtual Console is that it gives players easy access to the games for which collectors will easily pay $80+ dollars. Take Chrono Trigger for the SNES: Chrono Trigger is considered to be one of the greatest RPGs of all-time. Grey Market Price: ~$90. Virtual Console Price: $8.

Of course, collectors collecting for their retro consoles will never be interested in a digital copy of a game as opposed to a cartridge, but this service is perfect for gamers like me since I'm willing to sacrifice a cartridge if I get to save $82 in return- I'll just use the saved money to fill my car up so I can drive to all of the cool parties I get invited to...

THEN, you have 100% backwards compatibility with the Nintendo Gamecube, provided you got your Wii before 2011, back when all of the cool kids got theirs. No need to discuss how awesome backwards compatibility is, provided you've read literally anything else on this blog (I am quite fond of the Gamecube, if you haven't noticed). What is also noteworthy is the fact that while component cables that upscale video quality from 480i to 480p are impossible to find for the Gamecube, they can be found easily for the Wii. So if you've ever wanted improved video quality for your Gamecube games, get a Wii.

With the Wii (about $50 on eBay at time of writing), you gain access to easily 20 amazing games as well as the rest of the Wii's admittedly mediocre library, all of the Gamecube's library, most of the library of the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis, a bunch of N64 titles, Netflix, Youtube, and Project M. It's an old console with very few hidden gems, and even a handful of it's first party titles are garbage, but this console has immeasurable value to gamers who, like me, may be looking to update their knowledge of retro games without making their wallets cry or are trying to get through the summer's gaming drought with some great original Wii games that hold up without question.