Serin

After finally getting a smartphone, this was the first game I downloaded. Loved the first and couldn't wait to finally play the sequel. And despite it being free, I still feel like I got ripped off. Despite buying the original game three times (twice for PC, once for the DS) it always seemed worth it. Every level had that perfect mix of casual fun with a little bit of challenge to keep you on your toes. PvZ2, on the other hand, has a punishing level of difficulty. You don't even have time to get your economy going before you're being swarmed. That is unless you're willing to shell out cash to cheat your way through it, which just seems cheap. It lacks the charm of the first with its minigames, your zen garden, and of course, the ability to pay up front for a complete game.

Just beat this game tonight, and I have to say it was definitely worth what I paid. The story is interesting, the controls worked well even without dual joysticks, and it provided a pretty decent challenge without ever becoming frustrating or obnoxious. I also played through some of the "Raid" missions, which are sort of this game's version of The Mercenaries. You basically run through a small level toward a goal as fast as you can, murdering everything along the way. This gives you points for unlockables and new weapons and upgrades. Basically it's a pretty good game. It is a bit short (main game took me only 9 hours, and I was not fast at all), and the underwater bits were kind of annoying, but it's worth your time and money to check it out.

Loved Mass Attack, so I thought I'd pick up a used copy of this one for another fun, stylus driven Kirby game. But Mass Attack it is not. Kirby feels clunky to control; I'm constantly scribbling underneath him just to get him to go the right way or actually do what I want. Frequently I try to use his powers and end up getting hit or dying. The game also feels very...small. There's no world map, very few unlockables. The music is good as always and it still looks bright and cheerful like a Kirby game should, but it's way more frustrating than fun.

I always really enjoyed The Mercenaries minigame for Resident Evil, especially 4. So when I saw this for 15 bucks, I figured it was worth a shot despite the score. After playing it for a few weeks, I think people are being far too critical. It's exactly what it says on the tin: The Mercenaries. There are more characters, more weapons, upgradeable **** you wanted TM with bells and whistles, you got it. As for negatives, I have to ding it a point or two for the "boss" fights. They're pretty boring and frustrating, but luckily there are very few. Also when enemies are a long distance away and running, their movement animations get a bit wonky, but that's a minor complaint. Also could do without the voiceover at the beginning of every single mission. BUT. Overall, this game is a solid 7. It's fun to play and great if you enjoy The Mercenaries. Get it cheap and you'll be satisfied with it!

Before beginning this review, I think it's important to mention that I've never played a Kingdom Hearts game before. I saw a review for this one, looked like fun, so I picked it up. And it IS fun! The battles are fluid and pretty, the spirits you create add an entertaining element to the mix, and the music is wonderful. But after 20 hours of play, the fact that this is my only KH game ever seems to be seriously affecting my enjoyment. The plot **** a beginner. Cryptic characters appear, deliver a line or two, and vanish. I'm given a 1000-word help document that I can read to sum up an entire game I missed so I can appreciate this character's appearance. And the dialogue goes on and on and on...I can't tell what's actually important and what's just fan-service. Speaking of plot, I can't help but notice how much of it is dialogue recycled almost 100% from other games/movies with a few discussions about hearts and friendship sprinkled in for good measure. I guess what I'm saying is as a GAME it's quite fun; as a STORY it's boring and frustrating. But since I bought this game instead of a book, I can rate it higher than average.

This game is like Super Mario RPG for the SNES on steroids. The quirky, humorous story is still there with plenty of funny dialogue, but the battles have taken a major turn from "hit A at the right time to hit harder" to "JUMP oh God now smack it with your hammer okay draw 7's on the screen aaghghgh!" If it sounds hectic, it's because it is. And it is SO MUCH FUN! You play as either Mario and Luigi or as Bowser (which is the best part, everyone agrees) exploring the different areas and leveling up in your standard RPG way: buying new equipment, upping stats, etc. But as you do that, you'll also be digging up magic beans, trying to catch blitties (block kitties), and fighting your way through battle after battle where mastery of timing becomes the difference between finishing a battle with taking no damage and losing everything. And yet despite all this, the game has plenty of ways to make it friendly for beginners: you'll occasionally find "retry clocks" that let you start a battle from the beginning, it always makes sure to explain thoroughly any new special attack you learn with the opportunity to practice it, and the game is very generous with coins and exp won from battles so you're not forced to grind. Even my wife who primarily plays casual games had a lot of fun playing it all the way from start to finish. Definitely worth buying!

This is one of those games I wanted to like so much, but it just couldn't live up to its potential. I'd just come off an invigorating Etrian Odyssey binge, and I wanted another game where you get to customize your characters with class/skill levels and gear and whatnot. And it really does sound promising. You have a team of four heroes who can constantly switch classes in order to learn new skills and become even more powerful as time goes on. There is a pretty huge catch, though: rarely do you control all four at one time until close to the end of the game. This led to frustrating sequence after frustrating sequence as every time I felt I had characters that complemented each other well, one of them would bugger off and leave me with just one character plus a worthless TEMPORARY one. And don't get me started on the gems. Oh, the gems...because if you want to level up your classes, you better be memorizing what gems are showing up where when you fight, because otherwise you can't learn new skills at all without them. These two things combined with a very limited inventory system that punished you on boss fights for not looking at a FAQ beforehand were enough to kill my enjoyment of the game. The music was fine, the graphics looked good, the **** a Squeenix story, I guess. I just wanted a fun game to play, and I didn't get one.

A very solid sequel with some much appreciated changes. Remember the awful sewer levels from the first game and the make-or-break platforming? Yeah, that's all gone now. Instead, the focus is more on the combat. Shimmying up buildings has also been made loads easier with electrified poles, boosting powers, and the tether which makes you feel like Spider-man but with lightning. I also really liked the reworking of Zeke's character from bumbling, annoying sidekick to someone who is actually useful. Also, hunting down blast shards is MUCH less obnoxious with the new Blast Shard Sense power. Basically, it's the first game but with new powers, a better story, and much more exciting combat.

As a huge fan of the original PC game and the port to the DS, there was no way I couldn't get this. The first thing that struck me was just how beautiful and deep everything looks. The Mimiga village, the Egg Corridor, all of them looked fantastic! Yeah, it was different from the vibrant and colorful original, but it really does look wonderful. I also really enjoyed the music remixes and the new solid sprites. At first I had some trouble getting around, but they provided a pixel map on the bottom screen that makes things loads easier. Now it's not completely perfect. Every time you switch screens, there is a very brief loading screen. Usually this isn't so bad, but during a conversation between Sue and Kazuma, every time it switched between them it would load again. But again, usually this isn't very noticeable, thankfully. Another problem I had at first was not noticing enemies who seemed to blend into the background. But since there's a "Classic" mode that uses all the original sprites which stand out a bit more, it's really not so bad. Plus I got used to it after a while anyway. So if you're a fan of the original, this one is definitely worth your time. And if you've never played before, well, the original story and game is almost exactly the same! Cave Story is one of the best games ever made. Check it out!

If you're a fan of Bejeweled (and who isn't?), this game won't disappoint you. There are tons of modes to play and many options for "quests" (mini games). It works well on the DS because it's cheap, portable, and easy to play with the stylus. There are a few odd missteps, like the weird deep voice that exclaims whenever you make a good move, but overall it's definitely worth the price if you're looking for a fun casual game.

Honesty time: I haven't played Mario Kart since the original on the SNES. That being said, I REALLY love this game! All the customization options are fun, the racing itself is easy to grasp (and takes some work to master), and it looks very pretty in 3D. I got it on an impulse buy, and it's turned into something both me AND my wife enjoy playing to relax in the evenings after work. The only thing that subtracts points is the addition of only 16 new tracks and limited options for the rest of the game (battle mode and coin runs). I'm betting they'd be fun to try via wi-fi, but I'm still enjoying the single player mode. Now if only I could 3-star all of those damn mirror tracks...

Capture monsters from around a fantasy world, build a team, and battle them against other teams. Sounds like Pokemon, right? I'd be lying if I said this game wasn't a LOT like it, but it's the differences that make DQM a lot more fun and casual. For starters, capturing is much less of a pain. Once you spot a monster you want, you sic your team on him for one turn. They each attack and build up a bar to a certain percentage, and then you either get lucky or you don't. But you know EXACTLY how close you were. If something is nearly impossible to catch, you'll know you're wasting your time. And forget having to memorize moveset lists and worrying about eggs and daycare and junk. Here you just combine two monsters together and choose which new one you'd like along with any skills you want them to inherit. I'd nearly forgotten about the actual plot of the game as I spent hours messing with my teams, making huge dragons and angelic slimes and whatnot. In fact, the story is pretty forgettable overall, but that's on par for basically every Dragon Quest game. You come for the gameplay, the colorful art, the terrible/funny puns, and an enjoyable waste of time. Definitely worth your money if you're a DQ or Pokemon fan!

Kirby Mass Attack is the reason to own a DS if you're a Kirby fan. The gameplay is stylus only as you lead your group of up to 10 Kirbys through the level, but it's incredibly easy to learn how to play. The game has tons of unlockable goodies and minigames, including an incredibly addictive game similar to Kirby Pinball on the old Gameboy. The music is fun, the characters are cute, and, well, it's Kirby! You either love him or you don't. If you love him, you owe it to yourself to get this one.

I saw Covenant of the Plume for 10 bucks at a local game store, and based on C. Block's review, I figured why not? I love SRPGs, so it seemed like a win-win. The game definitely has some good points. First off, it's fun! Also, the storyline is based around Norse mythology, and for me that was incredibly cool. There are also three entirely separate "tiers" of plot based on how evil your choices are leading to some...interesting endings to say the least. The negatives are there, however. For starters, every battle gives you a "Sin" requirement. This is how badly you overkill an enemy through team attacks and such. If you meet your Sin requirement, the game showers you with overpowered equipment that, in turn, makes it even easier to meet the next Sin requirement. This combined with the Plume, an ability that sacrifices a party member but first turns them into a dervish of destruction, makes even the hardest map winnable in no time. That being said, using the Plume alters the story and your own path within it, so it was still interesting to see how it played out. Worth 10 bucks? Absolutely. But I'd recommend Disgaea DS if you're desperate for a good DS SRPG. If you already have that one, why not grab this one too?

This is a fantastic port, and overall it's a winner if you loved the original Star Fox 64. The graphics are great; the 3D effects on this game beat anything on the 3DS released so far. Everything you loved is still there, and if that plus a facelift is all you need, 40 bucks is worth it. However, I was disappointed by the lack of online multiplayer. I know no one else who owns a 3DS, much less three people, so it's a bit of a wasted opportunity for Nintendo. That along with the game's relatively short length (albeit no shorter than the original) costs a couple points. I'm still happy with my purchase, but these are things you'll want to take into account when deciding.

I am a Disgaea fanatic, and thus I'm incredibly picky when it comes to each game. That said, I can safely say this one is the BEST of the series. I've played it for 130 hours now, and I'm not even close to done with all the excellent bonus content, new characters, absurd weapons, or giant prinnies. The graphics are HD now and look fantastic, the special moves are ridiculous and fun to watch, and the music is top notch. And if you've never played a Disgaea game before, no worries! You can jump right into this game and not have to know a thing about how to play or previous storylines. The tutorials were informative without being annoying, and the new plot is by far my favorite. Valvatorez is hilarious! So if you want an SRPG to scratch that itch, Disgaea 4 is an investment that will pay off.