DS

Avalon Code

April 13, 2009

DS / Reviews / by Chris Ingersoll Make a comment! / Tweet it!

I’m familiar enough with RPGs to know that Avalon Code’s adventure elements isn’t exactly an RPG. Sadly, several inherent flaws temper a great deal of the ambitious innovation that went into its design, leaving behind an unsatisfactory experience filled with promise but short on delivery. 

For reasons not explained, your character has been chosen to bear the Book of Prophecy and is thus tasked with recording information about the world before it is destroyed and replaced with a new one based on the Book’s contents. People, monsters, items, flowers, and maps each get a two-leaf spread in the book’s several thousand pages. There are also pages that will record every one of the game’s cut-scenes for your later perusal, which is a nice feature; your scores in a couple of mini-games are also recorded. Maps are automatically generated as you enter new areas, but everything else must be Code Scanned, which is fancy language for “smacked with the giant book”. This does not inflict any damage, and in fact nothing is aware of this even happening due to the book’s mystical properties. 

Once an object is scanned, Avalon Code’s key innovation comes into play. Everything in the book is represented by several gene-like Codes in a grid called the Mental Map. Each Code represents a material, elemental attribute, abstract concept, or animal, available in seven different shapes and sizes. By combining these Codes in various ways you can change the nature of whatever you wish; for example, putting both Illness and Copper Codes in something’s mental map results in it either becoming rusty or tired. As you explore the world you can also scan tablets called Metalizes which contain recipes for various special items; sometimes you must first solve a sliding block puzzle (ranging from 3×3 to 5×5) in order to “translate” the tablet. Characters have aspirations that will suggest a recipe that will vastly increase their value — and sometimes free them of a detrimental “locked” Code that is holding them back. 

As mentioned, each entry in the book has a value. Recombining Codes will often increase the value of objects and characters, while maps gain value either by exploring them or by scoring high in a dungeon’s segment. Each room of a dungeon will task you to either defeat all of the enemies or flip all of the switches, awarding you points based on how fast you complete the task as well as several other bonuses like not receiving damage or fighting with specific types of weapons. As the Book’s total value increases, the Book itself will level up; each time it levels up, it offers you a brief glimpse of the future, revealing new events. 

Your character levels up as well, but in an unusual manner. There are five schools of combat (Swords, Hammers, Projectiles, Bombs, and Unarmed); as you fight, you gain experience in whatever weapon you struck your enemy with, and eventually level up in that fighting style, increasing your damage output or improving your special move within that school. Combat is mostly real-time hack and slash, wielding weapons in both hands (controlled by the X and Y buttons), although you can also juggle enemies via hitting the A button to trigger Judgement Link… which is the only way to recover health, magic, and mystic jewels (money), so you better get used to it. Your HP (a Zelda-style heart system rather than the usual RPG numeric totals) and MP are increased only when you scan specific tablets, most often after defeating a boss. 

It is this unusual level-up system, combined with the mini-game nature of the dungeons, that start to give me pause when referring to Avalon Code simply as an action-RPG. Further clouding the issue is the fact that the plot and character development, my two biggest criteria for judging an RPG, are inconsistent at best. The narrative is broken down into several chapters (fitting the whole “Book of Prophecy” theme) that give you an ultimate goal, but otherwise just hangs in the background, leaving you to wander around randomly trying to trigger side quests from various characters, including pursuing one of several romantic interests (the game allows for both male and female protagonists). This is accomplished mostly by giving them gifts to gain friendship (their page will tell you their likes and dislikes), but there’s little rhyme or reason as to when a given character will actually offer up a quest. Even once you have fulfilled a character’s aspirations, however, there is often no significant change in their demeanors. It basically seems like all of that work is only paid off in a higher score for the Book. 

Once you overcome the ultimate Big Bad, you are offered a glimpse at the world that will be created after the destruction of the current one, as influenced by the contents of the Book (including several questions that ask you “How will it be in your world?”), but you can continue to explore post-adventure areas at your leisure, further refining the future world through your actions. Whether or not you want to bother will probably depend on how much of a completionist you are and how tolerant you are of the game’s shortcomings and unusual style (like the dungeon design). Personally, I was most frustrated with the endless flipping of pages as you try to find appropriate Code pieces to complete recipes; the game (eventually) allows you four bookmarks that you can move around at will in addition to the pre-set bookmarks for the Table of Contents, Player Information, and Save/Load page, but what the Book really needed was a simple search function that could tell me, say, where all of my Silver Codes are currently assigned. I actually wonder how much of the 51 hours I currently have on my save file was spent simply rifling through pages to find specific Codes.  

Frustrations and complaints aside, there are several original ideas contained within Avalon Code that I wouldn’t mind seeing again. While the actual execution of the Code-swapping was somewhat lacking, it is an awesome concept that deserves a better chance. Much effort was put into squeezing a lot of quality visuals and sounds out of the DS, which includes voice clips for most of the (in-engine) cut scenes. If we are to get a sequel, hopefully having most of the ground work already done will allow for more focus on the story and Code system. As it stands now, Avalon Code is worth checking out if you want to try something a little different, but not something I recommend going out of your way to pick up. 

ESRB: E10 for Fantasy Violence and Mild Language; the romantic sub-plot never progresses much beyond hugging

Plays like: something between a Zelda clone and a regular action-RPG

Pros: Ambitious, unique concept

Cons: Questionable design choices, especially “mini-game dungeons”; plot and development lacking

 

Boing! Docomodake

April 4, 2009

DS / Reviews / by Erin Husson Make a comment! / Tweet it!

When you first find out about Boing! Docomodake, there’s an inevitable first question: what the heck is Docomodake? Once you realize that it’s the mascot of a cell phone company in Japan, you start to wonder why there’s an English version. Perhaps it was a risky move to localize something that English speakers will almost certainly know nothing about, but this game comes out of left field in many respects, and some gamers will appreciate that.

The plot of Boing! Docomodake is simple but not really vital to enjoyment of the game. The Docomodake family is a group of mobile, sentient mushrooms who are getting ready for a festival. In the midst of preparations, Papa Docomodake discovers that the rest of his family has disappeared, and sets out to find them.

You, playing as Papa, travel through several different areas, in each of which is a family member who has suffered some minor mishap and become lost. Each area is divided into multiple bite-size stages where you solve puzzles, find coins and treasure chests, and avoid or defeat enemies on your way to the goal.

Papa has several clever ways to get where he needs to go. He can split into a number of smaller versions of himself, and these mini-mushrooms can serve different functions depending on the situation. For instance, you can build a ladder with them to allow Papa to reach a high ledge. You can pick them up and throw them to activate switches or stun enemies. You will also be using them to manipulate Papa’s size; on the one hand, he can push big rocks when he’s a normal size, but he will only be able to fit through certain areas after you’ve split off some minis to make him smaller.

The controls in Docomodake are pretty straightforward and, for the most part, intuitive. You can move Papa around with either the directional pad or the face buttons, while the minis are positioned with the stylus. The shoulder buttons are used to pop off four minis at once, which is useful when you’re trying to make Papa smaller quickly. The act of double-tapping a mini to render it throwable and then moving Papa to pick it up can be awkward, especially if you’re trying to quickly take out an approaching enemy.

Graphically, the game keeps it simple but effective. Mostly it consists of 2D sprites, with an amusing hand-drawn scene at the start of each area to illustrate the misadventures of each family member. The soundtrack can’t be called extensive, and it tends to get repetitive, but generally it doesn’t detract from the rest of the game.

The game could have benefited from a larger view area. While the beginning levels are rather small, later areas boast sprawling levels which take quite a bit of scrolling through to get your bearings and plan out your route. The top screen, rather than being an extension of the touch screen, is mostly filled by a cute animation that varies by which area you’re in. Rather than forcing the player to go through the tedious process of pausing to scroll a lot of the time, the developers probably could have easily had part of the level show on the top screen as well.

Boing! Docomodake is fairly short, with a few small things that may extend its life a bit. After completing each level, you get a grade from D to S based on how fast you reached the goal and how many of the coins and treasure chests you found. Ambitious players may try to score an A or an S on each level. Additionally, there is a shop where you can spend the coins you collect, although for the most part all you can buy are pictures.

For $20, Boing! Docomodake isn’t bad. You may be able to finish it in a weekend, but the experience is pleasant and certainly different from a lot of games out there. And there are three save slots, so your family members or roommates can play it too, as long as they don’t mind being a large, walking mushroom.

ESRB: Everyone

Plays like: Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Pros: simple & relaxing gameplay

Cons: not very deep or long

Big Bang Mini

April 1, 2009

DS / Reviews / by Michael Walbridge Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Big Bang Mini comes with plenty of soul and very little character—the art, the fireworks,  the mechanics, the price, and the variety of modes give it plenty of life. After you spend time with it, though, it feels like going to a parade alone.

BBM is an easily accessible shoot’em-up—you control a spinning or pulsing orb or square or triangle that must avoid plenty of projectiles and falling debris. To attack, you flick the stylus as you would strike a match in the direction you wish to attack, each strike sending up one shot. However, if that shot doesn’t hit (or isn’t absorbed by a cloud or shield or whatever), it explodes like a firework, and the debris falls back down and could kill you. You must also use the stylus to move the ship out of the way, so you must either attack or evade, but never both.

The main arcade mode features 90 levels, organized into ten sets with different locations, enemies, techniques (one section lets you make bullet-absorbing vortexes), and boss stages.

It starts off as easy, fooling you into thinking you are skilled with your stylus, but the game will brutally crush anyone who doesn’t have a lot of experience playing games where you must dodge projectiles. Each level is short, but it takes only one hit before you fail. Some of the enemies spray showers of 20 projectiles at once.

There are other modes, such as a mission mode that comes with 25 preset achievement-style challenges, a versus mode that allows you to play against other players (one cartridge only) and a challenge mode where you can post your high score online. There is a secret mode and a relax mode to unlock—the relax mode puts on a fireworks show and music for you while you watch and can appreciate the art. You have to clear all 81 bonus stages to do that.

The games’ furor makes you miss its soul; I found Paris and Abyss particularly difficult and kept losing to sheep, paper airplanes, black cats, fish, and underwater mines. I am an advanced gamer, and it only took me about 5 hours to clear the arcade mode, but there was a lot of failure involved. It will be much more challenging for casual or non-aggressive players. It requires a volume of attempts and requires persistence more than it does strategy or puzzle-solving.

The controls are easily BBM’s strongest feature–they are flawless and superb, allowing the player to savor Big Bang Mini’s unique features.

Still, Big Bang Mini won’t be for everyone. It’s good for bite-sized gaming, it’s a nice challenge, and shmup fans will love the unique spins it takes, but if none of those are incentives, the challenge and strict dexterity requirements may drive you away.

ESRB: E for everyone. Fireworks and psychedelic hippies, clouds, and superheroes abound.

Plays like: a shmup where all movement and shots are directed by stylus

Pros: Superb controls, unique, challenging, variety of modes and challenges, and quirky, memorable beats

Cons: Highly challenging, unforgiving, somewhat short; the experience leaves you forgetting what happened when you’re done, which is something that is rare and undesirable

 

Retro Game Challenge

April 1, 2009

DS / Reviews / by Michael Walbridge Make a comment! / Tweet it!

I don’t know how to label “my generation”, but it’s certain that someone in marketing has: Retro Game Challenge caters entirely to those spent a lot of time gaming in the 80s. If you don’t know what it was like, RGC will show you. If you do know what it’s like, there are plenty of laughs and subtle references to the era that will make you giddy with nostalgia.

In Retro Game Challenge, a crazy Japanese man sends you back to the 80s to be friends and play games with his former self so you can understand what it was like back in the days where you had to use printed manuals and magazines in order to succeed. In this game, you are playing as a kid playing video games. The entire time, you will hear your friend cheer you when you succeed and boo you (or the game) when you fail. At any time, you can pause the game and rush to the manual or magazines to use one of the cheat codes if you forget it. You can even write down notes in a blank notebook using the stylus.

So it’s all very literal. Your first game is a clone of Galaga called Cosmic Gate. Upon beating all the challenges, you then will play Haggle Man, a platformer. Throughout the game you can always go back and play one of the previous games, if you so desire. Two of them, the RPG Guadia Quest and the ultimate sequel, Robot Ninja Haggle Man 3, let you save the game within the game.

The games themselves are distinct. On the plus side, they are actually good and manage to improve on old formulas, which is a necessity considering the games are simple and patterned after games that are over 20 years old. Fortunately, the designers know their design history, so the games feel both old and new, letting you appreciate the game as a relic while understanding what it was like to anticipate and be excited for an 8-bit game.

On the downside, some of the games are repetitive. The two versions of Rally King are essentially the same (in order to make fun of an exclusive edition of Super Mario Bros. that was only released in Japan), Cosmic Gate is very simple, and the second Robot Ninja Haggle Man makes only minor improvements and features. The last two games, Guadia Quest and Robot Ninja Haggle Man 3, take quite a while to play through, but the game feels drawn out only from the challenges. If you were to sit down and just play through all the other games, it would only take a couple of hours, assuming you know how to play old-school games.

Retro Game Challenge is highly clever; it successfully melds past and present, and upon closer examination, it makes the sly commentary that with the exception of the Internet and online gameplay, very little about playing video games has really changed. But if you don’t really care for satire or commentary, or if you don’t miss or care about retro-gaming, Retro Game Challenge may not be for you. The game is one huge inside joke and half the fun is from getting that joke. If you don’t, though, you may feel unincluded and wanting to ditch the party.

ESRB: E for everyone. Extremely tame. The children of today probably can’t even tell what the images are supposed to represent in some parts.

Plays like: old but good 8-bit Nintendo games

Pros: Lots of hidden humor and metacommentary, games feel old and new at the same time, games are mostly better than the old ones they emulate. The magazines, manuals, and what your friend says are funny if you get them.

Cons: But the games still feel old, and some of them are repetitive and grinding and occasionally the challenge feels arbitrary. That arbitrary challenge and that grind are true to the way things were, yes, but would someone walk through the snow for miles just to see what it was like for his grandparents?

 

Pokemon Platinum Version

April 1, 2009

DS / Reviews / by Graham Russell Make a comment! / Tweet it!

The third entries in the Pokemon series are a peculiar tradition. Nintendo wants to keep the game compatible with the previous two, so it really has to stretch to add features to the title without adding new Pokemon, moves or mechanics. With Yellow, the company opted to focus on Pikachu, he game’s flagship creature. With the Game Boy Color-only Crystal, it was mostly a graphical upgrade. Emerald was an effort focused on Stadium-like additions that made battling interesting after completing the main quest.

So what does Platinum have to offer? The visuals got a slight makeover. There are new battle opportunities. Neither were, however, the real focus for this edition.

Nintendo knew that different Pokemon to catch would be a great feature, but how can you put in new Pokemon and keep it compatible with Diamond and Pearl? The answer: formes. Platinum has what are essentially different versions of existing monsters; some have different moves, others have stat changes. The Giratina featured on the game’s cover is in its “Origin Forme,” which allows it to be more focused on offense and protected from ground attacks. Fairly useless Diamond/Pearl legend Rotom is back with five — count ’em up — five new formes, each allowing some interesting movesets. One allows the Electric/Ghost type to learn Hydro Pump. Trading any of these creatures back to Diamond or Pearl makes them revert to their original version.

A big selling point of the game is Distortion World, a new area of puzzles and battles not in the previous titles. The area focuses on Super Mario Galaxy-style 3D disorientation for its challenge, and is the location of the new Giratina forme. The area isn’t large, but any new places are a welcome change.

Besides these changes, there have been a few story tweaks, a slightly different order of gyms and areas, and a Platinum-only Wi-Fi area with a few fun diversions.

Platinum just isn’t that different from Diamond and Pearl, but those games were fantastic. There’s enough here to make it better for new players, and possibly enough here for the types of people that like Pokemon enough to have bought both Diamond and Pearl. Casual Pokemon players without deep pockets might want to save for something else.

ESRB: E– No worries.
Plays Like: Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Pokemon Emerald.
Pros: More Pokemon!
Cons: More Pokemon?

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