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Vagary.TV’s 2011 Game of the Year Awards

By
VTV Staff
– January 10, 2012Posted in: Editorials, Guides, News, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PC, PS3, Vagary.TV, Xbox 360

You don’t need to listen to some of the podcast deliberations on the site to realize that 2011 has been one of the finest years for gaming in a long while. The year had downloadable titles like Bastion sit next to or above high profile retail games like Portal 2 and surprises like Rayman: Origins and Saint’s Row: The Third. The seldom appreciated and often dust ridden Wii was graced with the latest Nintendo dungeon adventure of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

With all of those games in mind, we locked ourselves in a Google Document and threw emails at each other until we came up with a list of Vagary.TV’s games of the year. Enjoy.

 

The Don Parsons Award for Best Flying Game: Ace Combat Assault Horizon

Don comes down from his mountain to review flight games. In his spare time, he reviews flight games

By: Don Parsons

2011 was a stellar year for flight combat game enthusiasts (see: Me). From the great story-telling of Air Conflicts: Secret Wars to the fantastic plane modeling and dog-fighting of Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters, there was one that really stood out. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon exceeded all expectations, and not only delivered some great combat in the skies, but also gave us an epic and cinematic story. As if that wasn’t enough, it actually had people playing the game online. Both other games had online modes but, sadly, not a soul could be found playing them. Assault Horizon blew me away with its presentation and deserves to be called the Flying Game of the Year.

 

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive: Gears of War 3

Marcus' du-rag finally comes off. 'Nuff said.

By: Chris Scott

No other series, sans Halo, means as much to the Xbox brand as Gears of War. Knowing that, developer Epic Games had a lot of weight on its shoulders for the finale of the Gears saga to begin with, and Microsoft’s first party lineup of games in 2011 was oddly devoid of many big name games.

Fortunately for both Epic and Microsoft, Gears of War 3 not only delivers on the expectations for the series, it handily exceeds them. The single player campaign, which is also playable in four player co-op, is the best in the series and actually delivers some emotional characterizations to characters many people thought had none. Horde mode was drastically remodeled and delivers one of the best co-op experiences this year and is complimented by Beast mode, an incredibly fun reversal of the Horde formula. The competitive multiplayer is deeper, more balanced, and more fun that it has ever been. Additionally, the game controls better than ever, the new weapons are a ton of fun, and it’s more visually improved and diverse than any Gears game to date. Everything about Gears 3 feels incredibly polished. No game offered the complete package that Gears of War 3 did but, most importantly, it was a hell of a lot of fun to play.

 

Best Playstation 3 Exclusive: Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception

Drenched in hopelessness and vulnerability without a drop to drink

By: Kyle Baron

Uncharted 3 had plot holes and some contrived sequences that existed in service of gameplay, but none of that even entered my mind when I was playing it. Nathan Drake’s latest and possibly last venture on home consoles is a technical marvel that has you travelling across the world through acrid tombs, under the glaring suns of deserts, and through the often exploding and crumbling action set pieces of ocean liners and ancient castles.

Beneath all of that, Uncharted 3 tells a subtle yet pervasive story of Nathan as a man who is always close to what he wants while he’s about to lose everything else in the process. In and out of all of the gunfights, we see that his love for adventure and treasure is threatening to take the ones he loves away from him; it might be a narrow escape by a friend or the love of his life mumbling about her wedding ring, but that underlying battle is what stuck with me until the end of the game. Uncharted 3 beat out Infamous 2 for this award by one measly vote, and that really speaks to the level of emotion that both games subtly meter out with great effect.

Sure, the Playstation Network outage was an absolute mess, but Playstation 3′s had a great year for great exclusives.

Runner Up: Infamous 2

 

Best Shooter of the Year: Battlefield 3

It's best to just vault over single player into the rest of the game, really.

By: Don Parsons

The battlefield for modern shooters was rough in 2011. There were two camps split down the middle, with a small margin enjoying both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. After our staff voting, there was clearly one winner: Battlefield 3. While not a bad thing at all, most people feel like Modern Warfare 3 is just “more Call of Duty,” whereas Battlefield 3 took what made Battlefield: Bad Company 2 great and expanded it.

Everything that makes the Battlefield series great is here. The Conquest and Rush game modes, developer DICE-designed maps [that are always amazing], squad-based teamwork, and epic vehicular combat are all great. There’s also been a few changes that are just grand enough to stand out and make this feel like a step forward instead of the “same old thing.” The biggest of those changes is to the weapon progression system, which has kept me personally invested for dozens of hours. Smaller things like jets and being able to go prone also enhance this beautiful collective package.

Runners Up: Gears of War 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Game of the Year:  The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim

Not all of our staff were psyched about Skyrim being our game of the year

By: Tony Odett

Over the past few years, I’ve developed what I like to call “video game restraint.” When I was younger, time seemed to disappear when I put a game in my console. I’d forget to eat and sleep. I’d think about the game I was obsessively playing while at work that day, while of course trying to function on the three hours of sleep I had gotten because I had needed to beat just one more level, complete one more quest, or take one more city.  But then I became an adult with a wife, kids, and a big boy job. My gaming obsession was curtailed, and those feelings of addiction were forever lost. Even Mass Effect 2, which I thought was the best game I had ever played, found itself chopped into two hour increments, and never played past 1:00 a.m. I was until complete control.

Until Skyrim.

The real crux of a game, the thing that really matters, the most important factor for anyone isn’t storyline or graphics. It’s not even gameplay. No, the most important quality a game has, deep down, is how playing it makes you feel. Skyrim makes me feel like a kid again. It takes me back to a place in my life I had thought gone forever, where time melts away and I am lost in a new, amazing world.  Skyrim has moved me from jaded disillusionment to utter gaming joy. With deep lore, an addicting leveling system, loads of quests, and the deepest, most populating gaming world I’ve ever seen, I give you Skyrim, Vagary’s 2011 Game of the Year

Runner up: Super Mario 3D Land

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3DS Review: Mario Kart 7

By
Chris Scott
– December 15, 2011Posted in: Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

There is little arguing that the software lineup of the Nintendo 3DS handheld has been somewhat lacking but, Nintendo has begun a salvo of software releases that they hope will help the system begin to gain traction with consumers. The first wave of this new attack came in the form of Super Mario 3D Land, the second is Mario Kart 7. While Mario Kart does not date back as far as Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda do, its existence is nearly as important to each new piece of Nintendo hardware that comes out.

The success of the Mario Kart series has always been due to its simplicity. Anyone can pick up the game and have fun with it. This is because the core concepts at play in Mario Kart are easy to understand. Mario Kart 7 does not change any of this and it delivers 32 purely whimsical tracks, 16 of which are completely original, to be raced around with our favorite Mario characters.

Of course once you have raced around all the tracks, Mario Kart 7 offers very little in terms of reasons to keep playing by yourself, which you will be doing a lot of unless you know other people that own a 3DS or are near a wireless access point in which you can play others online. Simply put Mario Kart 7 is a bare bones release that is just more Mario Kart.

While more Mario Kart may be fine for some gamers, for me, it is the most disappointing aspect of Mario Kart 7. It is the same game we have been playing religiously for years now, only with a new, shiny coat of paint. Its lack of depth may have been excusable if it was a launch title but it is not one. Mario Kart 7 comes nine months after the system launched and worse still, almost a month after Super Mario 3D Land, a title which fully validates the existence of the 3DS as a system.

Sure, Mario Kart 7 looks wonderful, it may even be the best looking Mario Kart game to date, but it also does little to validate the main drawing point of the 3DS, the 3D. Levels are colorful and the addition of gliding to the series really makes some of the levels pop in 3D, but these instances are tragically short and worse yet the 3D does not enhance the gameplay. In fact, it may actually detract from the gameplay.

The 3DS is very fickle about how it delivers its 3D to players. Users must hold the system a certain way for the delivery to work and deviating from that will cause the 3D image to be lost and the screen to appear blurry. This is not a giant problem in a game like Ocarina of Time 3D or Super Mario 3D Land because it is easy enough to readjust without too many issues, however losing your position in Mario Kart 7 could very well leave you driving blind and put you in the back of the pack. Thankfully the 3D slider can completely eliminate that issue; unfortunately, there is no slider to fix what was my biggest detriment to my enjoyment of the game, the actual design of the 3DS itself.

There are a pair of game mechanics that are required to be used if one wants any sort of success in Mario Kart, those of course being power sliding and using items. These two actions are mapped to the left and right shoulder buttons and due to where the buttons are, and how big they are, using them consistently over the course of a Mario Kart 7 play session left my hands feeling cramped and sore. I’m not talking long stretches of gaming either, but rather quick hits in the 10-20 minute range. I physically dreaded going back to playing the game for this review because it actually hurt to play the game.

Eye strain and physical torture aside though, Mario Kart 7 does offer a couple new and improved aspects to the stock formula though. Now players can glide over long jumps and submerge themselves in underwater levels. These two new aspects may seem like game changers but neither actually changes much of anything. Gliding looks cool but aside from a couple of instances where huge patches of track can be skipped while doing it, it is nothing more than a cool gimmick. Submersion is even less of a game changer as the karts handle nearly identical underwater, with only a slight amount of water resistance applied.

While the new additions may not be anything to write home about, the online play is much improved and should be celebrated. Mario Kart 7 offers the best online multiplayer of any Nintendo game to date. It is easy to use and lightning quick, provided you have a strong access point. Online has long been a struggle for Nintendo and it is wonderful that they finally got it right, with a title that needed to have it right.

Sadly, the fantastic online is not going to be available to all people, at all the times, and the game offers far too little to do outside of the multiplayer. It is even sadder when one looks back on Mario Kart DS and sees how Nintendo understood that a lot of players would have to play that game solo and offered them more depth than in any previous Mario Kart game before it. It is a shame because the Mario Kart formula still works and Mario Kart 7 can be fun, provided one has the right assets at their disposal. But as a handheld game it fails on a lot of levels and doesn’t offer the depth such a system requires.

Pros: fun, looks great, 16 original tracks, 16 classic tracks, 9 unlockable characters, fantastic online

Cons: same old Mario Kart, no depth to the core game, 3D does not enhance gameplay, online not always available

3* out of 5

0

Review: Pet Zombies [3DS]

By
Christopher Coke
– December 10, 2011Posted in: 3D Gaming, Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

Pet Zombies for the 3DS is a game twenty-somethings want to like.  Speaking, of course, of a shared history that includes Gigapets,  Pokemon, and any number of games that let you invest in virtual animals. Twenty-somethings, we popularized this whole “geek” thing, too,  so we’re probably pre-disposed to a fascination with zombies. Combine all of those elements into a morbid blend of Nintendogs, Angry Birds, and Shaun of the Dead’s humor, and you have something we can get behind. Unfortunately, Pet Zombies overstays its welcome at every turn. Worse, the game feels rushed. Still, after playing through it, there are definitely parts that I enjoyed.

Let’s start with presentation. Pet Zombies utilizes a cartoon-like art style that doesn’t seem to fit the concept. The UI, character models, and animations all seem a little bit cute. I understand why they’d go that route, since parents are more likely to buy the game for their kids. It stands at an odd contrast to other elements of the game, however. Many of the activities you can do, or do to, your zombie have a more mature sense of humor. Players can freely hold a torch to their zombie, burning them as they scream and yell like Disney characters in pain. I hoped the art style would grow on me but, with the juxtaposition of cutesy design and morbid atmosphere, I walked away still wondering what the developer’s were going for.

The game opens with a stunning use of 3D. And by that, I’m referring to the title screen. The art assets have some serious pop-out and it looks great. That said, the use of 3D in the rest of the game was modest at best. During the “main” portion of the game (we’ll get to why that’s quoted later), your zombie wanders through environments and with toys you unlock along the way. There’s a sense of depth present but the 3D isn’t used to enhance gameplay in any way. That would even be acceptable if the mini-games you spend so much time in utilized it here or there. But alas, throughout, 3D is take-it-or-leave-it at best and oh-look-it’s-not-even-on-and-I-didn’t-notice at worst.

But that’s okay as long as the gameplay is good. This is where the game stumbles worst. In the “main” section, you play with your zombie using toys, such as balls, mirrors, and laser pointers. The zombie cheerily chases them and you earn Nurture or Torture points depending on how mean you are. Unfortunately, how your zombie responds to these toys becomes repetitive quickly and you’ll yearn for the break minigames provide. These games unlock as you play and provide currency — known as Zombucks — for items, environments, and other unlocks. The first, and best, features you launching a zombie from a slingshot to collect coins. You have a magnet ability and another that let’s you keep flying for a limited time; more if you collect power-ups on the way. The problem is that this is the only available game for far too long. This is a problem for every minigame: they’re fun, but you’re forced to play them ad nauseum to continue.  If you get tired of those, you have the caretaking portion of the game, the part that became repetitive in the first hour, to keep you going.

You see where the problem is. You’ll spend most of the time playing Pet Zombies as a minigame collection rather than a pet simulator. It all adds up to a really conflicted sense of design.

All that said, I could see kids under the age of 13 having a good time with this game and it deserves points for that. It is ideal for short bursts, such as during lunch or before homework, and for someone who will come back to the game often. The minigames are fun, taken in moderation, and have the same addictive quality frequently found in mobile games. Should you buy it for Christmas morning? Probably not at the current price point. At $15, though, or for a rental, the game offers a unique twist on a classic formula.

Pros:

  • Unique concept
  • Good sense of humor
  • Good progression path
Cons:
  • Conflicted design
  • Repetitive gameplay
  • Progression takes too long
Score: 2*/5

 

1

3DS Review: Super Mario 3D Land

By
Ryan Kenward
– November 17, 2011Posted in: Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

Super Mario 3D Land is hands down the best game currently available for the Nintendo 3DS and, in my opinion, is in the running for Game of the Year 2011.  Mario 3D is the 3DS’ long awaited killer app, just in time for the 2011 holiday season.  Bowser is at it once again, taking Princess Peach hostage leaving Mario to save the day.

Super Mario 3D Land blends the best aspects from the 25-year franchise together to create a new yet familiar game.  The tanooki suit from Super Mario Bros 3 (NES) makes a return in Mario 3D Land and is easily the most important power up in the game.  Unfortunately, until you finish the main game and unlock the special levels, it does not function as older gamers may remember. You will not be able to use it to fly, period; you flutter. This instantly becomes insanely useful as you try to delicately land on small platforms and collect the Star Coins that you’ll will need to advance in the game.

Once you complete the main story mode, you will unlock a special mode; it is here where you will find the Statue Suit that works much more similarly to the tanooki suit of SMB3 (minus the flying part still).

There are eight worlds, each with several stages that Mario will need to traverse and conquer in order to save Princess Peach. Each world is beautifully designed and shows off the incredible capabilities the 3DS possesses.  There are some stages where you flat out need 3D turned on so you can solve the three dimensional puzzles; luckily I found it to be the easiest 3DS game on the eyes to date.  The game is just plain fun, although if you allow yourself to get frustrated easily there will be plenty of opportunities to do so.  The game has an overall mellow, but vibrant feeling to it.  The bright colors, cheerful music and just the right amount of challenge will easily hook you in for long gaming sessions.

To make it to the end of any given level, you will need to have cat-like reflexes, precision coordination, a sense of urgency, and attention to detail. Every stage has three Star Coins to be collected; you will be required to have certain amounts in each world to open levels and the end-world castles.  Collecting these coins is no easy feat in some cases, so be prepared to play each level a few times over.

The learning curve for SM3DL is gentle.  If you die five times, you will have a sparkling tanooki suit available to you when you start your next play of the level.  The sparkling suit basically is a combination of an invincibility star and a tanooki suit.  It feels like a cop out, and yes you can still die by falling (which I did more than anything else), but for kids or even if you’re just eager to beat the level, then this is a nice feature.  If you’re really stuck, after the tenth time you die in a level a “P” wing (originally seen in SMB3) will appear that lets you skip to the end of a level.  You obviously won’t be able to pick up coins unless you got some before using it.

Generally speaking, the controls worked well.  I did have some difficulty adapting to the 3D world at times, especially when trying to land on a small or moving platform (even worse, small moving platforms).  I missed… a lot.  I don’t feel like my lack of depth perception in this game can really be blamed on anyone but myself, so this did not hurt my overall opinion of the game.  The game has some great new tunes in the soundtrack, but also goes back to some of the classics from various incarnations of the franchise.  It was nice to have those little trips down memory lane, all the while enjoying a game that feels completely new.

As previously mentioned, when you complete the regular story mode, you will unlock special new worlds.  These eight worlds are similar to the previous eight, but they are considerably more challenging. If you die repeatedly, don’t look for the invincibility tanooki suit or P-Wing to help you out.  Some of the special levels will severely limit your time and will have to race through the levels dodging, smashing, and collecting clocks to give you just a few more seconds to make it through.  Other levels in the special world will be frustrating, but still fun.  After the first special world you will rescue Luigi and from there you may play as either Mario or Luigi.

Super Mario 3D Land also takes advantage of the StreetPass function built into the 3DS.  When you StreetPass other 3DS owners, your game will restock Toad’s house (similar to SMB3 when you could pick a chest for an item from toad), and also reset challenge boxes that can reward you with Star coins.

Super Mario 3D Land is a must buy for Nintendo 3DS owners or those who’ve considered picking the system up.  This fun, yet challenging, adventure is great for any and all gamers.

Pros: Easy learning curve, utterly fun, nostalgic rehash of many great Mario titles
Cons: It should have launched with the 3DS, it would have drastically helped sales.

5*/5

3

Netflix 3DS Review

By
Christopher Coke
– July 15, 2011Posted in: News, Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

Yesterday, Nintendo surprised North America by including its own Netflix application in it’s weekly E-Shop update. 3DS owners have known for a while that Netflix was coming, of course, but with no date or even target month shared, its sudden appearance on July 14th found many in a state of jubilant rejoice. The real question, though, is how well it stacks up against the many other options users have for Netflix steaming. Thankfully, Vagary has got you covered.

UI, Controls, and Ease of Use

Over the last couple months, Netflix has made an effort to bring all of its interfaces under one central look. The 3DS is no different, and anyone who has used Netflix recently will feel right at home. The bottom screen features categorized rows which allow the user to scroll up and down, as well as left and right. The top screen features the box art, star rating, an information snippet on the selection title, and the ability to search by pressing “Y.” Once a movie is begun, it is displayed on the larger top screen while the bottom fades to black until touched. When active, users can pause, stop, and navigate with the flick of a finger, or if they’d prefer, the A, B, L, and R buttons, as well as the directional- and circle-pads.

The 3DS interface works great for navigation and feels uniquely suited to the system’s dual-screen presentation.

That said, load times tend towards the long side, and we’ve experienced several “hangs” in this process that required closing the program to fix.

Picture Quality

Picture quality can be hit or miss, though for the most part you probably won’t notice due to the size of the screen. Where issues become most apparent is in pixelation across solid colors, often in areas of shadow or blackness. As with any Netflix application, your mileage may vary depending on your connection speed. We also noticed that many videos seem especially dark unless the screen brightness is turned to the maximum setting.

Battery Consumption

While watching videos on the 3DS doesn’t seem as GPU intensive as a high-fidelity game, you can expect a solid and consistent drain on your battery while using the service. This is primarily due to the strain constant streaming puts on the system’s wireless card, which will be in effect for the duration of your viewing. While we’ve done no hard tests, we found that a battery can withstand between two and three hours of constant viewing on a fully charged battery. Not bad!

Overall

Nintendo and Netflix have done a great job of bringing the service into a new array of users hands. After using the Xbox 360 and PS3′s navigation systems, the transition was incredibly smooth and we never felt the too-familiar sense of sacrifice that often comes with portable iterations on complex interfaces. The inclusion of a search feature is particularly nice and easy to use with the included stylus.

In the end, we’d rate this application with four-out-of-five stars. While the program itself is great, lag and load issues mar what would otherwise be a shining example of a port done right. Still, at the low, low cost of “free,” this is a program no 3DS owner should be without.

Streaming plans begin as low as $7.99 if you’ve yet to sign up.

Rating: 4-out-of-5 Stars

2

Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS

By
Ryan Kenward
– June 29, 2011Posted in: Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

If you were living under a rock in 1998 or were too young/not born yet, then you unfortunately missed the first time Ocarina of Time was released.  Whether or not you realize it, Ocarina of Time revolutionized games much in the same way Super Mario 64 did two years prior.  In Ocarina of Time, we encounter Z targeting (the N64 version of locking onto targets you are fighting), we see rumble being used as feature to give clues, awesome new graphics and much more.  Ocarina of Time has been released on the Game Cube as part of a collectors disk, on the Wii’s Virtual Console and now – on the Nintendo 3DS.  Before stating anything else, let’s be certain one thing is clear: The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3DS is -NOT- a straight port.  It is a vastly enhanced version of the game released in 1998 and of course now incorporates beautiful 3D.

If you have never played a Zelda game, this is a perfect one to start with.  As in most Zelda games, Ganon – “is up to no good, started making trouble in your neighborhood” of Hyrule.  Basically, Ganon wants to dominate Hyrule with the power of the Triforce.  As the name would imply, the Triforce is three part magical artifact left by the gods after they created the world.  Unfortunately, Ganon gets his hands on the Triforce of Power and seeks to enslave the other piece holders as well as the entire kingdom.  It’s up to Link to take the journey to defeat Ganon by wielding the Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time in this epic adventure of what was unseen proportions.

As mentioned, it is a vastly improved version of the original.  The graphics have been retouched, so they look much more beautiful and less polygon-y.  The 3D effect on the 3DS looks remarkable as well, and it’s easily the best looking game on the 3DS to date.  The system also allows players to use the motion ability to aim at targets. Potential players are probably going to want to turn this off… immediately.  The one issue with the 3DS and motion is the precise viewing angle you need to maintain to continue to see the 3D.  If you have to pick between 3D and looking silly using wonky motion controls, which one seems better?

The game play is also largely untouched, save for a few exceptions of a the new features made possible by the 3DS platform. The touch screen also enhances the experience immensely.  Players can switch between your inventory, maps and view their quest stats easily.   Additionally, the touch screen lets you map out four items, as opposed to the three on the other ports. Additionally, your Ocarina has its own spot on the touch screen, which sports the same low-bitrate soundbytes from the original; every awkward Link shout to the midi sound tracks is authentic.  This doesn’t really add, nor detract from the experience.

After the game is completed, you will be able to access the Master Quest.  It functions much like it did on the original Zelda for the NES, puzzles will be changed and dungeons will be moved around a bit to create a new experience; the difficulty level will also go up.  Adventurers will need to hack and slash, solve puzzles; walk the agonizing walk across Hyrule field a few times before obtaining Link’s trusty horse, Epona; catch chickens and much more to beat the game. This all ties in nicely to make for a game that is still one of the best experiences for a gamer of any skill or age. With enhanced graphics, portability, gameplay tweaks and tons of replay value, Zelda: Ocarina of Time holds its own and more.

5 out of 5

0

Review – StreetPass, Nintendo 3DS

By
Ryan Kenward
– June 9, 2011Posted in: Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

The Nintendo 3DS comes bundled with a lot of very exciting features; of course there is the ability to play games in 3D, but there are also lots of neat ways to connect you with new people. One such way is via StreetPass. StreetPass allows you to exchange Miis and information between other 3DS owners whilst your 3DS is in sleep mode, or even while you are playing another game. Unfortunately, if you live in a rural area you are not likely to reap the benefits of this fun feature or fully experience what it is all about. I was one of those people, prior to this years E3 I had 5 StreetPasses, 2 of which were with display consoles in a local store. Looking at my 3DS now, I see that my plaza has grown to 262 Miis in the span of 2 days.

Sorry for the smudges!

As I said before StreetPass allows you to swap Miis with the people you pass; but it also shares your birthday (month and day only) as well as some other quirky little questions and a personal greeting. Many use their greeting space to promote their websites, or twitter accounts. Once you collect these Miis you can use them in the two games that are part of StreetPass. There is a puzzle game, where you will receive pieces of various puzzles from the people you encounter. There is also a game called Find Me.  In Find Me, you battle your way through several ghosts and monsters to rescue your personal Mii.  The catch to this is that you battle with the Miis you have collected via StreetPass.  A further caveat is that they can only be used once per encounter. Going through Find Me and completing levels will reward you with hats for your Mii to wear. The game does get very difficult so it becomes critically important to StreetPass as many people as possible. An added feature is that every time you pass the same person their Mii goes up a level and does more damage. The games may be fairly simple, but what really makes it worthwhile is the collecting and networking aspect.

There are some major flaws that hopefully Nintendo will address. Your StreetPass can only hold 10 Miis in the queue; meaning once you pass 10 people, unless you accept them in you will not get any other Miis. The second major problem is that once you get those 10 Miis, you will probably see a notification saying there are more Miis that you have passed and to that all I can say is — “Its a trap!” If you do not use the Miis in the Puzzle Game and Find Me before accepting the new Miis, you will lose the ability to use them. I lost several Miis because of this. As long as you check your 3DS frequently it isn’t a huge issue, but in events like E3 – it isn’t very hard to walk past 20+ 3DS owners within the span of just a few short minutes.

2

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

By
Ryan Kenward
– April 6, 2011Posted in: Nintendo 3DS, Reviews

Most people are in agreement that Super Street Fighter IV is one of, if not the strongest titles for the 3DS right now.  This game is a perfect demonstration of what the 3DS is capable of, and how much fun the console is in general.

Super Street Fighter IV is pure eye candy on the 3DS.  The graphics look amazing and the 3D is executed beautifully.  This game should right away assuage any doubts people may have about the capabilities of the 3DS.  Moreover, the game is extremely fun and addicting.

The traditional arcade mode will match you up against opponents until you reach Seth, a weird alien sort of guy who absorbs everyone’s powers.  Arcade mode typically is pretty uneventful, but Capcom did a neat thing with this in allowing you to be challenged by players online or on your local network as you go.  If you let people challenge you from the internet, it is entirely possible you will never make it to the end of arcade mode though.  If there was any story to this game, I was completely oblivious to it – luckily, a story doesn’t really make or break a good arcade fighter.  As you progress you will earn titles and icons you can show off online; and also points that you can use to buy figurines for your StreetPass team.

The second major feature of the game is as previously mentioned, the online capabilities.  It is very easy to get online and go, whether you are playing against a buddy in your friend list or complete strangers online.  You will start out as a Class D fighter with each character and you will slowly climb up the ranks if you are any good.  Wins and losses will affect your points; this is cool because it actually is incentive to try your best.  Again, as in arcade mode you can earn points, titles and icons.

There are two modes of combat; there is the classic side view and then there is a 3D over the shoulder view.  (Both views are displayed in 3D)  The over the shoulder view is a little haphazard and hard to adjust to.  The controls are perfect, and an additional cool feature is the ability to map out moves and combos on the touch pad.  This makes the game more accessible to those new to the fighting genre.

The last thing worth pointing out is the the StreetPass functionality.  You are able to create a team made up of the figurines you unlock/purchase with the points you earned.  The combined levels of your team members cannot pass a fixed number, so there will definitely be strategy involved.  When you walk past someone with a 3DS and SFIV your StreetPass teams will do battle and you will see the results the next time you open your 3DS.  Unfortunately, I haven’t had any experience testing this at this time, but I will revisit this review at a later time once I experience this feature.

In the end, at $39.99 – Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition is worth every penny.  Its a beautiful and highly addictive game that feels rewarding every time.

4 out of 5.

 

As an added bonus – here is a code for a special figurine!    DmdkeRvbxc