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Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:38:11 - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) |
Gameplay:
After more time playing Phantom Hourglass, the characters continue to be entertaining and colorful. The animation of the world is bright and colorful, while the ghost ship gives off a grave and dangerous tone with its monochromatic coloring. Linebeck, now basically my ride around the world, continues to annoy and entertain at the same time.
Going into dungeons to find maps is a blast as I discovered that the microphone is also implemented into the gameplay in order to call out to people or blow out a fire. I also acquired the boomerang in the first dungeon, which is very easy to use with the touch screen, as the player simply selects the boomerang weapon and draws the desired path using the stylus. Exploring undiscovered islands and charting them is a large part of the game as well, and very rewarding secrets can be discovered. The game as a whole continues to entertain to no end.
Design:
The design of this game’s control scheme truly sets a new standard for games on the DS using touch screen control. During the quest, the player can mark things on the map and seacharts using the stylus in order to mark places to return to later, or mark which levers to pull and in what order. I remember a particular time I entered a room with four levers and a sealed door ahead. I had to go to a room on the right, where I found a map that marked the order the levers were supposed to be pulled in. I brought up the map, and wrote down the order, I returned to the room, pulled the levers in order, and was able to move to the next room. The controls used in Phantom Hourglass are the most unique in any game so far, and make the game very fun to play.
The DS’s mic also plays a large roll in the game. I recall an instance in which I had to open a temple to get inside and find another seachart. There were multiple windmills on a platform. I had found the map which told me which windmills to turn and marked them. Then I returned to the platform and blew into the mic to cause the windmill to spin. The intuitive and clever integration of the mic is truly a welcome addition to the gameplay of Phantom Hourglass, as it is very often overlooked.
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Mar 6th, 2008 at 00:27:01 - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) |
Summary:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a 3-D action/adventure game for the Nintendo DS in which the main character, Link, must rescue his pirate captain Tetra from the clutches of the mysterious Ghost Ship.
Gameplay:
While watching the intro, I was very pleased with the paper like slide show that discusses the events that had transpired in the previous game, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and was surprised to find that at the end, the slideshow had actually been done by one of the crew members. So far, everything about this game is whimsical and amazing. The characters all look so unique, and have personalities to match. One of the major characters, Linebeck, even reminds me somewhat of Captain Jack Sparrow. The animation in this game has returned to the less realistic, more stylized feel of the Wind Waker, which personally I adore, as it is a break from the realism I often encounter and creates a more animated feel. The graphics are top-notch on the DS; everything from the oceans to the monsters look excellent, and are very well done.
The controls of this game is the most unique feature ever seen on the DS. Phantom Hourglass is the first game ever for the DS to feature complete touch screen control. The only buttons used are the down and B buttons which function as shortcuts to the map screen. For being a touch screen only game, controlling Link and his actions was executed extremely well in order for the experience to be enjoyable. Link moves toward where ever the stylus is pointed at on the screen, and can even slow down to a walk if the stylus is closer to him. Picking up miscellaneous objects such as pots or rocks is as easy as touching them. Swinging the sword for a horizontal slash took some getting used to, but is easy after some practice. So far, this game is one of the greatest experiences ever and I recommend it to anyone who has a DS.
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Feb 21st, 2008 at 03:04:02 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
Gameplay:
After more time playing, I have discovered that some enemies cannot be killed using just any method. Some can only be defeated by a thrown barrel, and some cannot be killed and must simply be avoided. I remember numerous times where I had been knocked off of a platform by a crocodile in a barrel running up behind me and bumping me.
Also, there are little rest stop type areas in each world that exist for various purposes. Some of the ones I’ve visited so far are a museum, a school for learning moves, and a game show where various mini-games can be played. They are all fun and interesting in different ways.
Design:
The various challenges presented by the level design create a satisfyingly difficult time getting through to the end of a level. Certain instances I can recall include jumping over a bee while hanging onto a rope, and, like mentioned above, dodging an incoming enemy when attempting a carefully timed jump. I find myself continuing after a death just to execute a jump that looks easy at a glance, but is more difficult than it seems. Boss battles in particular aren’t too hard, at least so far. It is actually more of a challenge getting through the world to reach the boss than actually defeating the boss himself. But overall the game provides enough of a challenge to keep the game interesting.
One innovative aspect of the game I feel is the tag element of the game play. Breaking a barrel with Dixie inside instantly gives the player access to all of her moves, and her and Diddy can be switched to on the fly just by pressing Select. Often I find myself using Dixie, as her spin move reduces her falling speed, making her much more useful when needing to land on narrow ledges (there are quite a few). Another thing about the tag aspect that is very useful and appreciated is that when either of them take damage, the player automatically switches to the character that did not take damage. It is somewhat of a life-saving mechanic that is reminiscent of rings from Sonic the Hedgehog. It is very valuable as there is no health meter present.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest is definitely a game focused on fun that is worth playing.
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Feb 21st, 2008 at 02:03:00 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
Summary:
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a 2-D side scrollig platformer for the SNES. The overall goal of the game is for Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong to rescue Donkey Kong from the clutches of Kaptain K. Rool.
Gameplay:
Not much in the form of storyline presentation seems to be present. The game pretty just jumps right in to the first level once a save file is chosen. The gameplay is rather addicting though. The main characters, Diddy and Dixie, can defeat enemies by jumping on them or throwing barrels, while each character also has individual moves. Diddy can cartwheel into enemies, nd Dixie can use a tornado spin. Dixie's spin mive seems to come in quite handy when traversing the lands in the first world that are particularly pit-filled. The wide range of animal friends in the game, from a rhino to a spider, also add to the fun factor by allowing the player to discover secret areas and mow down enemies. One thing that is different from other 2-D platformers is the tag aspect of the gameplay. After breaking Dixie out of a barrel, the player gets access to her powers and can switch back to Diddy with the press of a button. The characters can carry each other and throw each other to defeat enemies as well.
The tone of the game is easily portrayed in the game as light hearted and fun oriented. The main characters are monkeys with big eyes that can throw each other and hang fom things, using cartwheels and spin moves to attack. The lack of any storyline portraying Donkey Kong being kidnapped helps contribute to the child friendly aspect of the game as well. So far, nothing about this game is really different from the average 2-D platformer, other than the tag-team aspect of gameplay. This game really focuses on just being fun to play, which is enough for me.
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ss3teddy has been with GameLog for 16 years, 3 months, and 12 days |
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