LateToTheGame

The graphics are great, the basic gameplay is a solid idea (largely collecting/exploration with battle/capture interspersed), but there are a few failings that really stop this game from being as enjoyable as it could have been. I will preface this review by admitting that I have never played the first Luigi's Mansion. This really was not a problem in terms of following the story or figuring out the gameplay, but perhaps lacking the nostalgia made me able to be a bit more critical of the game as a whole. The lack of save points (automatic or manual) is likely to be frustrating for both younger and adult players, it leads to times you must replay the same mission a couple of times, which can be tedious, Additionally between missions Luigi is often summoned to and from the manor he is exploring to visit his mentor, when the player is returned to the manor it is back in the front hall, leaving you to navigate the same path back to where you had just been on your last mission, The controls are not as fluid as they could be, Luigi's mobility can be really limiting when fighting certain enemies. I did not enjoy this game as much as I expected to. It has charm and value, but I would not label it a "Must Have" game for the 3DS console.

This is one of a dwindling number of couch co-op titles that gives you solid multiplayer functionality on one screen. It's a great game to play with friends, the co-op feels like a full feature, rather than something added on later (which many two player games falter at). The controls are fairly intuitive, and actually implement a few features I wish more first-person games would offer.

Based on the amusing charm of the previous Adventure Time 3DS title ("Hey Ice King! Why'd you steal our garbage?!!") I expected a similar level of fun from Explore the Dungeon, and was sorely disappointed. This game is a tedious time waster. While it's nice to have the option to switch between the four playable characters, that is about all of the variety you should expect from this title. The enemies are boring and easily defeated using essentially one button regardless of which "type" they are. The game problems are further compounded by the lack of any "run" type function to at least help speed up long walks down empty halls.

This may not be the game for everyone, but it does a solid job of what it sets out to do. If you're a fan of the Back to the Future franchise, this game gives you an enjoyable trip through further chapters of the saga. The game play is fairly linear, meaning you follow the stories as they were written to be experienced by your character. The game is more like an interactive story/movie than an action or RPG game, if you are prepared for that you will likely get exactly what you want. The graphics are charming and the voice acting was done very well. They definitely focused their efforts in the right areas to make the game work as well as it does.

Pax Pix does a good job at making the DS technology important to gameplay, but in the end it still falls short of being a fully satisfying game. The repetitive formula feels more like a mini game that should be spaced out as an exercise within a full game, or else put in a mini game collection. The play did not intrigue me enough to give me any real desire to keep going through the levels, and I can't imagine this game being a more than a quick time waster for players. This is the kind of title that should be bought from the "bargain bin" if you don't want to feel cheated.

I probably enjoy the StreetPass Plaza (and its internal games) far more than I should. It's a simple principle, but an extremely good example of the 3DS technologies. I love the chance to indirectly interact with other 3DS users nearby. The easy collection-building strategy can become strangely addictive, and I've certainly used it more than most pieces of basic freeware.

This game combines a great story with a variety of gameplay styles, it draws from genres like adventure-type platforming and a variety of shooting-style game staples. The level/upgrade system allows players to actually earn skills rather than just a variety of outfits for Lara. As a reboot it does a great job establishing young Lara and her companions as interesting, and more realistic (both physically and emotionally) characters. The main fault I would note is that puzzle components could have been more difficult. Even without the flashing white hints, it doesn't take long to work through the actual tombs.

The idea is cute, and the basic environment in the game is creative and whimsical, but after that production of this game seems to have fallen apart. The actual gameplay ranges from frustrating to down right nauseating. I'd never experienced motion sickness from playing a video game before I played Mini Desktop Racing, but after a few rounds of the poor camera angles and animation I began to feel my head swimming and my stomach turning. While this game may seem like a fun casual game to mess around with, it's just the opposite. Poor controls will have you angry at the game the whole time it's on.

Mahjong Cub3d did little to improve the classic Mahjong game style. Further, the control system is not near as intuitive as the 3DS could have allowed for with this type of game, leading to a lackluster experience. As a quick game to pass the time idly it does more than a passable job, just don't expect to be amazed. Better interface and tile image choices could have been made to render this game more enjoyable and remove needless frustrations.