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3DS Game Reviews/Recommendations/Condemnations Thread | We've been separated

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Zornica

Banned
Agree with your review, however in this mision is easier to never change into the captured Ally, since ally commanders do not fight out of screen, they slowly get damaged if they are in a bad situation. So, it is posible to survive longer if you never use him, especially since the tropps inside the castle have high moral with means extra def, extra att.

really?
I tried it like 10 times but he was always killed nearly instantly when I came near the fortress to kill the door guards...
anyway, that was just an example to show how the mechanics can/should be used.
 

Anteo

Member
really?
I tried it like 10 times but he was always killed nearly instantly when I came near the fortress to kill the door guards...
anyway, that was just an example to show how the mechanics can/should be used.

Oh, he does get killed rather fast compared to other units, however, I still think you have a higher chance of success by killing the guards yourself rather than try to survive with an underpowered character. Of course, none of that matter in the replays since you can setup an overpowered unit inside the castle.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I do love those Criminal Upper OT's, no joke it really made me pay more attention to the game.
Criminal Upper said:
THE 2ND LEVEL STARTS AFTER YOUR NINJA JUMPS FROM AN EXPLODING HELICOPTER AND ONTO SPEEDING COMBAT JEEP THAT'S TEARING DOWN A HIGHWAY JUST AS VOLLEYS OF MISSILES COME STREAKING TOWARDS YOU.

ONE OF THE BOSSES IS A CYBORG MEGLODON SHARK!
How can you argue against that?
 
So Best Buy's got this b2g1 deal next week, and I plan to pick up some games for when I actually get my XL. Which of these titles you guys think are least likely to go on sale?

Mario 3D Land
Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Kid Icarus
Code of Princess
Final Fantasy Theatrhythm

I actually plan on buying them all eventually...just trying to get the most out of this deal.
 

Pikma

Banned
Kid Icarus was already on sale once, so I guess SM3DL and OoT3D are the ones less likely to get a sale/price cut anytime soon

You should get those and Code of Princess as the third game, it's totally worth it. :D
 

Bog

Junior Ace
Grabbed Tekken for $8 at Target on a whim, but I was shocked how competent it is. Love having this on the go now.
 
Q

qizah

Unconfirmed Member
Grabbed Tekken for $8 at Target on a whim, but I was shocked how competent it is. Love having this on the go now.

Is it worth it? I've been debating it for a while. It's still $29.99 here in Canada though.

I already have SSFIV3D and DoA:D - but I wouldn't mind having Tekken as well.
 

Pikma

Banned
Big OP update:

Added prices to every eShop game so far and updated the game opinions 'til post #105.
Hope you like it. :)

Time to do my homework now, see you later tonight. :p
 

zroid

Banned
Yeah I'm probably going to get Shinobi when I can find a good deal. I'll admit I was a pretty ardent doubter for a while, but I'm really coming around.
 

Kazerei

Banned
Big OP update:

Added prices to every eShop game so far and updated the game opinions 'til post #105.
Hope you like it. :)

Minor quibble, I wrote a paragraph on Theatrhythm and it's not linked to in the OP.

I love how organized and informative the OP is though. Thanks again!
 

also

Banned
Big OP update:

Added prices to every eShop game so far and updated the game opinions 'til post #105.
Hope you like it. :)

Time to do my homework now, see you later tonight. :p
Thanks for your hard work, but I saw that a lot the images are hotlinked. It would probably be best to rehost them. Maybe on Minus?
 
Would recent ds games like pokemon 'count'?

Damn... now that I think about it, the amount of 3ds games I've actually finished is quite low... been catching up on a lot of ds and VC games lol.

I guess this list should help me :X
 

Pikma

Banned
Would recent ds games like pokemon 'count'?

Damn... now that I think about it, the amount of 3ds games I've actually finished is quite low... been catching up on a lot of ds and VC games lol.

I guess this list should help me :X

Since a DS review thread would be pretty much dead* I think it would be possible?

*I would love to have a DS game review thread, I missed the whole DS generation, been catching up since I got a 3DS but damn, DS line up is gigantic, would love to hear present-day GAF talk about it.
 

also

Banned
My other reviews
Liberation maiden
Castlevania: The adventure

Castlevania: The Adventure (-)
iQ1wahjjKHKpt.jpg
ivbwtm0X1pnB3.jpg
i0P5DmbdsZCyv.jpg
iRy7C4D9WcZDU.jpg

Premise
You are Christopher Belmont, a vampire hunter. Your goal is to storm Dracula's castle and kill its master.

Game Structure
There are 4 stages with a generous time limit, each ending with a boss fight. There are checkpoints mid levels and before bosses.
You begin with 3 lives and can gain more by racking up enough points (don't count on it too much) or finding them in the stages. If you loose all your lives you begin at the beginning of the stage you were in and your score resets to 0.
After beating the game, you can go through it again. With each succeeding playthrough the enemies deal more damage and eventually (5th playthrough and higher) all of them kill you in 1 hit. Everything else is the same.

Controls
You use the D-pad to move, A to jump, B to whip and START to pause, there are no subweapons. Christopher moves reaaaaaly slowly and you can only jump up or forward a fixed amount; you can't adjust the heigh or length.

Gameplay
You have to carefully place your jumps and accurately whip your enemies.
Throughout the stages there are candles that drop hearts (restore health), money (gain points), crosses (brief invincibility), 1UPs and crystals.
Each crystal upgrades your whip. The first upgrade greatly increases the length and you do a more damage. The second upgrade only increases the whip's length a tiny amount but you now fire a fireball each time you whip and you also do more damage. You lose one upgrade each time you are damaged. If you die you start from scratch. Keeping the upgrades is vital as your default whip is really short.
You also gain points by killing monsters and collecting money. The left over time is also converted into points.

PROS
+music: My favourite track are the theme of the 1st level and the credit's theme.

CONS
-short
-little replay value: The only change, when replaying the stages on higher difficulties, is how much damage enemies do to you.
-Christopher moves like a tank
-no subweapons: Whipping gets kind of old, especially as there aren't too many types of enemies.
-randomness: There's an enemy that can fire a fireball that bounces of the walls either up or down. There's no way to tell how the fireball will be fired and Christopher is so slow that reacting quickly enough is almost impossible, so you will have to rely on luck and hope it doesn't hit you. It doesn't do that much damage on a regular playthrough, but it can be really annoying if you are replaying the stages on harder difficulties. Abusing the game's PAUSE feature is a must on instadeath mode. There are also some bats at the very beginning of stage 2 with an unpredictable flight pattern. Getting past those on instadeath mode is an exercise in frustration.

NEUTRAL
-bosses: Not great but not bad either. They mostly rely on patterns.
-level design: The first stage does a good job at acquainting you with the precise platforming that the game demands without instantly killing you if you fail and the easy enemies provide a valuable training ground. Stage 3 constantly puts you in danger so you have to keep moving and stage 4 has some interesting platforming sections.The problem is that the levels are full of relatively agile enemies, bottomless pits, spikes that kill you in 1 hit and Christopher often feels too slow to deal with all of this.

Hints
-Each stage has a secret room with an 1UP, crystal and heart to restore all your health.

Video
Whole playthrough, the secret rooms aren't shown.

Summary
The game is short and way too frustrating for most people, so I can only recommend this game to die hard Castlevania fans that have to play every entry in the series.

Playtime:
13:47
Completed the game on instadeath mode (5 playthroughs), no save state abuse.
 

manueldelalas

Time Traveler
Tales of Abyss +

You'd either like or hate the characters, I can't be a judge for that, but if you can get pass that hurdle, you will experience a meaty ass jrpg ( a bit too meaty at the end, it drags a bit) with a fun battle system. The 3D isn't great and there is no AA in 2d mode and framerate was reduced (still solid 30fps), but loading times are near instant, which makes this the definite version.

If you want a jrpg ass jrpg with a fun action combat system, give this a shot.
I bought Abyss yesterday, and I don't get the hate for the characters. I'm 4 hours into the game (defeated a big tiger), and the main character seems like the typical jRPG kind but asshole hero that will eventually change.

He is nowhere near as idiot as Cloud or Squall, he is less annoying than the hero of Suikoden Tierkreis, less annoying than the TWEWY dude. I mean, at least he talks, and you don't have to read tons of bubles of thoughts...

He also kicked the annoying pet character, which was a good thing.

I won't say he is a great character, or any of the cast so far, but he is far from annoying, he just seem very typical...

Having fun with the game.
 

Pikma

Banned
The OP is officially up to date, 'til post #176. :D
Sorry if it took me a while, I've been having some health problems.

And now... let's wait for that Nintendo Direct. :)
 
Q

qizah

Unconfirmed Member
Did anyone buy Liberation Maiden? I was wondering if it's worth it -- its $7.99 on the eShop. I figured it'd be a bit cheaper. It looks really fun but I want to know how much millage it'll have.
 

also

Banned
Did anyone buy Liberation Maiden? I was wondering if it's worth it -- its $7.99 on the eShop. I figured it'd be a bit cheaper. It looks really fun but I want to know how much millage it'll have.

If only the first post of this thread had links to reviews of Liberation Maiden...

The game is short. My 1st playthrough (normal) took me a little bit over an hour to complete and my total playtime was 13:31. In those 13 hours I played story mode on easy, normal (2X) and hard (2X). I also played all the stages on all difficulties in Score attack mode at least once.
On higher difficulty levels the enemy attacks are stronger, faster, more frequent and precise so it forces you to be more strategic and makes it worth to replay the stages. This is especially true for the bosses.
If you are not into replaying levels, even though it's worth it, your experience with this game will be very short.
 

Pikma

Banned
Did anyone buy Liberation Maiden? I was wondering if it's worth it -- its $7.99 on the eShop. I figured it'd be a bit cheaper. It looks really fun but I want to know how much millage it'll have.

You should seriously consider giving a look at the OP.
 

Ken

Member
If only the first post of this thread had links to reviews of Liberation Maiden...

The game is short. My 1st playthrough (normal) took me a little bit over an hour to complete and my total playtime was 13:31. In those 13 hours I played story mode on easy, normal (2X) and hard (2X). I also played all the stages on all difficulties in Score attack mode at least once.
On higher difficulty levels the enemy attacks are stronger, faster, more frequent and precise so it forces you to be more strategic and makes it worth to replay the stages. This is especially true for the bosses.
If you are not into replaying levels, even though it's worth it, your experience with this game will be very short.

How much waifu material is there for $7.99.
 

also

Banned
How much waifu material is there for $7.99.
I'm not sure how to answer this...
Hmm, Shoko's VA is great and her design is nice. She puts the well being of her people before her own, is determined and courageous. Even though she's a skilled fighter, she has a softer side. There's also a little bit of fan service, i.e., 2,5 ass shots.
The game has great atmospehere and really makes you feel like you are playing an anime. This is mostly due to the awesome music.
If you want more info, check the first post for reviews.

Is this a satisfactory answer?
 

Ken

Member
I'm not sure how to answer this...
Hmm, Shoko's VA is great and her design is nice. She puts the well being of her people before her own, is determined and courageous. Even though she's a skilled fighter, she has a softer side. There's also a little bit of fan service, i.e., 2,5 ass shots.
The game has great atmospehere and really makes you feel like you are playing an anime. This is mostly due to the awesome music.
If you want more info, check the first post for reviews.

Is this a satisfactory answer?

Yeah. 2,5 ass shots is totally worth $7.99.
 
Liberation Maiden (+)

If you are intrigued by the games wacky premise, which as about some anime girl becoming the president of Japan to destroy enemy robots with her own mecha (including laser swords...), then you will hardly be disappointed.
You will get just that, packed into top notch presentation, including a great soundtrack, cutscenes and very competent English voice work. And most importantly, surprisingly solid gameplay coming from Grasshopper Manufacture. It has fast paced action in the vein of Sin & Punishment, but in more open environments that will also eventually hold a couple of sidequests and a fair amount of variety in enemy patterns and sometimes level structure. The controls work fine, but it comes with the same eventual disadvantages as every (3)DS shooter using the touch pad - however using the stand from Kid Icarus will solve any kind of ,,cramp'' issue you might have experienced elsewhere.
Nevertheless, as probably mentioned in any review, the game sadly is short while the price is hefty. An ordinary playthrough won't last longer than 2 hours, getting 100% will maybe scratch 5 hours. If you aren't willing to go back to this game later on for full completion or simply beating high scores, then you should hope for a sale - otherwise it's great.
 

zroid

Banned
Mutant Mudds

Here's a game that's a bit divisive among platformer fans -- some think it's absolutely brilliant, while others believe it's too slow and/or frustrating. I would not begrudge someone being frustrated with Mudds, as it can be challenging. Two stages (of 60 in total, as of a recent update which added 20 more for free) were notably punishing. However, at the same time I would argue it's less frustrating than the vast majority of NES platformers to which it aims to pay tribute. Mudds is a fine example of evoking nostalgia for a certain period in gaming, while not relying on it to justify its existence. Controls are tight and predictable; the visuals are striking and make clever use of stereoscopic 3D; the music is fantastic; and the core conceit of shooting with a jetpack -- while not the most original idea in the world -- is pulled off with aplomb. Here's a game which deserves to be played.

Developer Renegade Kid, previously known for DS first person shooters Moon and Dementium, is surprisingly in its element with something that would seem a far cry from their other recent efforts. The level design is consistently well-crafted, taking advantage of multiple 3D layers in a fun way that not only expands the scope of the stages, but can occasionally trick you if you're not paying close attention. The rogues gallery, while not extensive, is deep enough to keep you on your toes throughout the game. In particular, the use of certain enemies in conjunction can create interesting predicaments for the player.

The format of the game is simple. There are 20 main stages, of which 16 are unlocked from the outset and can be tackled in any order. However, it is advisable to accept the difficulty curve as designed, because as you progress through the game you will unlock helpful power-ups that can either save your butt, or sometimes even offer you a shortcut. Hidden within each of the 20 main stages are two hidden stages, each -- a total of 60. These hidden stages are designed with a specific visual style, made to evoke the colour palettes of the Game Boy, Virtual Boy, or CGA. The Game Boy and Virtual Boy stages are accessible immediately, although several may require a power-up to reach. The hidden stages are particularly interesting because, unlike the main levels which contain them, they are able to assume you have a power-up equipped and involve it in the level design.

Mutant Mudds is a wonderful game from start to finish, and you shouldn't allow the methodical pace to keep you from enjoying it. It's worth acclimating to.

Recommended (+)
 

also

Banned
So I just finished a deathless run of Shinobi on Game Gear and really liked it. However, I have a few question regarding Shinobi 3DS before I take the plunge.
1.) Does the double jump require timing?
2.) Nocturnowl talked about the brutal final stage, is it as cheap as Neo City (the finals stage in GG Shinobi)?
3.) Are the bosses pattern or reflex based?
4.) Are there any hidden power ups to increase health or do you start at max health?
5.) How many stages are there in total?
6.) Can you gain 1UPs? Are they frequent?
7.) A more general question, how does GG Shinobi rank in terms of difficulty and quality in the Shinobi series?
 
1) No need for specific timing thankfully, was never a fan of that.

2)The only other Shinobi games i've played are the master system one so long ago I remember basically nothing and Shinobi 3, so I can't quite judge the difficulty compared to the GG title, the main point to be aware of here in the 3DS game is that there are a few blind jumps or drops in the final stage and that's where the cheapness I speak of stems from, fortunately it's not that long at least.

3) Bosses are pattern based, of course your reflexes will still come into play

4) You start at max health

5) 8 main stages I think

6) There's the odd one up scattered around but they're pretty uncommon

7) I don't know but it sounds like this GG Shinobi has you rather cautious about this, though you said you enjoyed it so i'd wager you'd be pleased.
 

also

Banned
1) No need for specific timing thankfully, was never a fan of that.

2)The only other Shinobi games i've played are the master system one so long ago I remember basically nothing and Shinobi 3, so I can't quite judge the difficulty compared to the GG title, the main point to be aware of here in the 3DS game is that there are a few blind jumps or drops in the final stage and that's where the cheapness I speak of stems from, fortunately it's not that long at least.

3) Bosses are pattern based, of course your reflexes will still come into play

4) You start at max health

5) 8 main stages I think

6) There's the odd one up scattered around but they're pretty uncommon

7) I don't know but it sounds like this GG Shinobi has you rather cautious about this, though you said you enjoyed it so i'd wager you'd be pleased.
Thanks for the answers.
My main concern was the double jump, so I'll be getting Shinobi 3DS.
 

Aru

Member
So I just finished a deathless run of Shinobi on Game Gear and really liked it. However, I have a few question regarding Shinobi 3DS before I take the plunge.

I respect you. Shinobi GG is quite a hard game, and I never managed to beat it when I was a child. Not saying it was impossible, because you did beat it... But a deathless run ? Wow. You must have played the game a lot.

You should grab Shinobi GG 2 if they put it up on 3DS VC (assuming you still haven't beaten the game on Game Gear).
 

also

Banned
I respect you. Shinobi GG is quite a hard game, and I never managed to beat it when I was a child. Not saying it was impossible, because you did beat it... But a deathless run ? Wow. You must have played the game a lot.

You should grab Shinobi GG 2 if they put it up on 3DS VC (assuming you still haven't beaten the game on Game Gear).
Thanks for the praise, but I'm not sure I'm worthy.
The Activity Log says my playtime was 7:23, BUT it would have taken me much longer on an actual GG. Save states allowed me to quickly learn boss patterns for the Pink, Blue and Green ninja. They were also super helpful when trying to navigate the maze like final level. My playthroughs were like this:
-Highway-->Waterfall-->Woodland--> Harbor
-First, I beat the 1st 4 levels and used save states to learn the patterns of the
helicopter, ninja and flying face
bosses. Then I went on to the 5th level and after I realized I was going in circles, I used save states to test which doors were leading where. I got bored before I made it to the final boss.
-Legit playthrough, took me 1 continue. Found the location of all of the the health increasing power ups.
-No death run attempts. I died a few times in the very first section of the Highway (I was impatient) and then needlessly twice in the final level because I was hoarding my ninjutsu. Charted a nice path for the 5th stage.
-Successful no death run.

Playing this game and Mega Man 1 made me really conflicted about using save states. Is it right to use them to practice tricky level sections and bosses or should I play the old school way? I always make sure to make legit playthroughs with restrictions that test my limits (no death Shinobi, no continue MM1) but I still feel like I'm kind of cheating the game...

Never had a GG so I'll definitely be getting the sequel when/if it's made available.
 
Haven't bought a 3DS game in awhile, what's the best stuff that came out on the eShop the past few months? I'm leaning toward Fractured Soul right now.
 

Aru

Member
Thanks for the praise, but I'm not sure I'm worthy.
The Activity Log says my playtime was 7:23, BUT it would have taken me much longer on an actual GG. Save states allowed me to quickly learn boss patterns for the Pink, Blue and Green ninja. They were also super helpful when trying to navigate the maze like final level. My playthroughs were like this:
-Highway-->Waterfall-->Woodland--> Harbor
-First, I beat the 1st 4 levels and used save states to learn the patterns of the
helicopter, ninja and flying face
bosses. Then I went on to the 5th level and after I realized I was going in circles, I used save states to test which doors were leading where. I got bored before I made it to the final boss.
-Legit playthrough, took me 1 continue. Found the location of all of the the health increasing power ups.
-No death run attempts. I died a few times in the very first section of the Highway (I was impatient) and then needlessly twice in the final level because I was hoarding my ninjutsu. Charted a nice path for the 5th stage.
-Successful no death run.

Playing this game and Mega Man 1 made me really conflicted about using save states. Is it right to use them to practice tricky level sections and bosses or should I play the old school way? I always make sure to make legit playthroughs with restrictions that test my limits (no death Shinobi, no continue MM1) but I still feel like I'm kind of cheating the game...

Never had a GG so I'll definitely be getting the sequel when/if it's made available.

You used save states then... Now I see why you could do it in such a short time :p
 

Pepboy

Member
I've never played Cave Story. What's the best version to get?

Generally I think the 2d version on dsiware / 3ds eshop is considered the best, but it's probably good to get confirmation from a second person as I haven't been keeping up with all the changes.

Reviews:


Street Fighter IV 3DS (-) I found this a boring experience because there was no sense of progress. I usually only play fighters single player, so I enjoy a solid "campaign" mode where you play each character, beat a string of fights and unlock a new character. I tried SFIV because of the hype and launch titles were a bit thin, but one of few games I ended up selling. Only recommend if you really enjoy multiplayer fighting games (at which point you are probably better off with a console version, I would think). For me, it would only be worth buying again at $3-$5.

Star Fox 3DS (+-) The nostalgia was nice, but it's been a long time, and the 3ds does not create the same sense of amazement. I played it two or three times and put it down. Recommend at about $10 price range.

Pilotwings (+-) Reasonably fun, a wonderful game for showing off the capabilities of the system to new players. Simple controls and short missions make this a good game for youngsters. Recommend at about $15.

Kid Icarus (+) This is a great game if you enjoy unlockables and tongue-in-cheek/4th wall humor. The flying missions are awesome, the ground missions are alright. Recommended at $40, strongly recommended if you find it $20-$30.

Super Mario Land (+) Another stellar entry for the 3d Mario line. The game screams excellent, clean, and interesting level design. Controls feel just right. I would put it on par with Super Mario Galaxy, in that I actually finished most of the levels and think back on it fondly. Recommended at $40 as long as you enjoyed Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Galaxy.

Ghost Recon: SW (+) I would recommend this game only if you already enjoy Turn Based Tactical games. There's a nice sense of progression as characters level up. You can save in-mission but I frequently forget to, so failing a mission can be a pain. That being said, there are better Tactics games on other systems (or DS) and the 3D does not add enough value over the somewhat "sluggish" nature of the game. I've heard it really becomes amazing toward the end, but I got burnt out before then. Recommended at $35 if you enjoy Tactics games a lot, maybe ~$15 if just curious or first tactics game.
 

Pikma

Banned
Generally I think the 2d version on dsiware / 3ds eshop is considered the best, but it's probably good to get confirmation from a second person as I haven't been keeping up with all the changes.

The 3DS eShop version has everything the DSiWare version had + all the modes from the Steam version + 3D, so I think that's definitely the superior version.
 
I've never played Cave Story. What's the best version to get?

IMO, the recently released 3DS version on eShop is the best. The DSi version has been available since the eShop first launched in 2011, but that one doesn't take advantage of the 3DS screen size and resolution.

Stay away from the 3D version unless you want to make that your second playthrough. Your first experience should be with the charming, original artistic vision of the "sprite" version.

Of course, you could always get it for free on PC, too. But portability makes the new version my favorite.
 
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