viciouskillersquirrel
Member
I'm from Australia (PAL), but I imported Kirby's Epic Yarn and Okamiden from Japan.
1. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver ; Where do I even begin? I have been hyped for this game since I was 14 years old, but never got a chance to play it until now, ten years after the fact, in remade form.
Is this the perfect Pokemon game? Well, no, not really. There were a few quibbles that marred the experience somewhat (lack of support for modern WiFi encription schemes like WPA and the esoteric bullshit you had to do in the Safari Zone come to mind), but the feeling it gave me while playing was something else.
I felt like a kid again, encountering "new" Pokemon for the first time, exploring Johto, seeing how Kanto had changed in my absense and using these unfamiliar 'mons in conjunction with my old favourites. I got seriously into breeding and IV/EV trained a Bronzong some kind GAFer had traded me. This game had me hooked for the better part of five months.
2. Kirby's Epic Yarn ; (Import - I'm from Australia) Beautiful, simply beautiful. Yes, it's easy if you just want to beat the level, but searching the environment for bits of furniture, collecting all the beads you can and stringing bosses along so you can collect enough beads to gain access to the "secret" levels is a lot of fun.
One of the best parts of the game, apart from the visual style, is the music. You can pop this baby in and just feel your cares and worries melt away. On some of the levels it's relaxing and jazzy, on others, it's epic and inspiring, others still, it's so chirpy that you can't help but smile. Incredible game.
3. Okamiden ; (Import - I'm from Australia) It's an Okami sequel on the DS. Need I say more? Now, I haven't played the Wii version, but being able to simply use brush techniques on the fly without even thinking about it rather than having to wrestle with the analog sticks on the PS2 was a dream come true.
The game isn't quite as epic as the original, a lot of areas from the first game are artlessly blocked off and occasionally the story makes no damn sense (I don't speak Japanese, so working out what's going on in the cutscenes is something of a challenge, as are some of the missions you're given). The cutscenes also feel excruciatingly long since I can't read all the exposition they're trying to cram into them. Having said that, it retains the magic, feel, fast combat and brushplay of the original.
4. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth ; The first in what is now a line of spinoffs of the mainline AA series, this game has a lot to offer - witty writing, charming characters, clever puzzles, nostalgia-inducing cameos and hilarious animations. Somehow though, it misses something crucial from the mainline series - tension.
Unfortunately, without the classic AA courtroom scenes (or some analog of them), this game can really only be classified as "good" rather than "great". At no point were the characters in any danger, which meant that the resolution of various cases didn't quite feel as satisfying as they used to.
5. Darksiders ; It's a Zelda-like mashup with God of War. This is a good game that, while not pushing any boundaries, manages to retain its own feel. At no point did I see War as Link on steroids or Kratos in armour.
This game is a little rough around the edges, especially when it comes to padding out gameplay (throwing horde after horde of enemies at you, for instance), but it's a lot of fun searching the environment for treasure and upgrading your abilities with Vulgrim.
6. Fruit Ninja ; It's a fun, quirky title that you can play while waiting for the bus or for your girlfriend to come out of the bathroom. It's pretty simple, so I won't say too much about it, but there's something so very satisfying about slicing up a pineapple and hearing the squelch as the juices spill out.
7. Angry Birds ; This game is so hilarious. Catapaulting exploding birds at structures seemingly made from dominoes, seeing them topple and marvelling in their mutual destruction is a joy that only a 3-year old knocking down a lego house can feel.
1. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver ; Where do I even begin? I have been hyped for this game since I was 14 years old, but never got a chance to play it until now, ten years after the fact, in remade form.
Is this the perfect Pokemon game? Well, no, not really. There were a few quibbles that marred the experience somewhat (lack of support for modern WiFi encription schemes like WPA and the esoteric bullshit you had to do in the Safari Zone come to mind), but the feeling it gave me while playing was something else.
I felt like a kid again, encountering "new" Pokemon for the first time, exploring Johto, seeing how Kanto had changed in my absense and using these unfamiliar 'mons in conjunction with my old favourites. I got seriously into breeding and IV/EV trained a Bronzong some kind GAFer had traded me. This game had me hooked for the better part of five months.
2. Kirby's Epic Yarn ; (Import - I'm from Australia) Beautiful, simply beautiful. Yes, it's easy if you just want to beat the level, but searching the environment for bits of furniture, collecting all the beads you can and stringing bosses along so you can collect enough beads to gain access to the "secret" levels is a lot of fun.
One of the best parts of the game, apart from the visual style, is the music. You can pop this baby in and just feel your cares and worries melt away. On some of the levels it's relaxing and jazzy, on others, it's epic and inspiring, others still, it's so chirpy that you can't help but smile. Incredible game.
3. Okamiden ; (Import - I'm from Australia) It's an Okami sequel on the DS. Need I say more? Now, I haven't played the Wii version, but being able to simply use brush techniques on the fly without even thinking about it rather than having to wrestle with the analog sticks on the PS2 was a dream come true.
The game isn't quite as epic as the original, a lot of areas from the first game are artlessly blocked off and occasionally the story makes no damn sense (I don't speak Japanese, so working out what's going on in the cutscenes is something of a challenge, as are some of the missions you're given). The cutscenes also feel excruciatingly long since I can't read all the exposition they're trying to cram into them. Having said that, it retains the magic, feel, fast combat and brushplay of the original.
4. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth ; The first in what is now a line of spinoffs of the mainline AA series, this game has a lot to offer - witty writing, charming characters, clever puzzles, nostalgia-inducing cameos and hilarious animations. Somehow though, it misses something crucial from the mainline series - tension.
Unfortunately, without the classic AA courtroom scenes (or some analog of them), this game can really only be classified as "good" rather than "great". At no point were the characters in any danger, which meant that the resolution of various cases didn't quite feel as satisfying as they used to.
5. Darksiders ; It's a Zelda-like mashup with God of War. This is a good game that, while not pushing any boundaries, manages to retain its own feel. At no point did I see War as Link on steroids or Kratos in armour.
This game is a little rough around the edges, especially when it comes to padding out gameplay (throwing horde after horde of enemies at you, for instance), but it's a lot of fun searching the environment for treasure and upgrading your abilities with Vulgrim.
6. Fruit Ninja ; It's a fun, quirky title that you can play while waiting for the bus or for your girlfriend to come out of the bathroom. It's pretty simple, so I won't say too much about it, but there's something so very satisfying about slicing up a pineapple and hearing the squelch as the juices spill out.
7. Angry Birds ; This game is so hilarious. Catapaulting exploding birds at structures seemingly made from dominoes, seeing them topple and marvelling in their mutual destruction is a joy that only a 3-year old knocking down a lego house can feel.
