I never played the original Kid Icarus, but Kid Icarus Uprising, a 20-years-later re-imagining of the franchise, seems solid so far. DS or 3DS titles that feature touch screen based controls have never appealed to me (I hate Kirby Mass Attack’s control scheme), but Kid Icarus Uprising controls rather smoothly. That doesn’t, however, mean the controls aren’t somewhat annoying. During my short time with the game at a recent Nintendo press event in Toronto, I quickly realized that holding the 3DS and using the stylus to aim your character’s reticule doesn’t feel natural. The title adopts a similar control scheme to Metroid Prime Hunters’ for the Nintendo DS (another touchscreen… (more…)

The current generation of consoles has been an ironic one.  Nintendo’s Wii, with its trendy motion controls, dashed to an early and sizeable sales lead over its HD, more powerful cousins, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.  Consumer demand for the Wii’s motion gaming, as rudimentary as it was, eventually led both Microsoft and Sony to create their own motion-based gaming peripherals. But things changed.  In the last two years, Wii sales have dropped steadily while the PS3 and 360 have gained momentum.  What happened? What were Microsoft and Sony doing that could so forcefully change the tide? While Nintendo’s motion gaming appealed on a novelty level, Xbox Live and… (more…)

Nintendo has announced that it is attempting to revamp its online gaming community.  If you’re a Wii owner, you already know that Nintendo’s online system isn’t as popular as Xbox Live or the Playstation Network.  In order to connect with friends online with the Wii, you need their 16-digit Friend Code.  I’ve had the Wii for a few years now and I can honestly say that I have no idea what my friend code is.  It’s not the easiest way to add friends and even though they’re on your ‘friends list’, interaction with those contacts is extremely limited. To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of online gaming on a Nintendo console,… (more…)

It’s been a awhile since I’ve played a Resident Evil title.  In fact, I haven’t followed Resident Evil Revelations’ development much at all. I did, however, end up downloading the 3DS demo from the eShop on a whim.  I admit that I didn’t expect much, figuring it would play similarly to last year’s Resident Evil Mercenaries.  To my surprise, Revelations is a much  better game. I should also mention how glad I am that Nintendo has finally started releasing demos (although the fact that they can only be played 30 times is a little ridiculous). I’ve always believed that game demos are the best way to convince consumers that your… (more…)

The term ‘hardcore’ is often attached to the word gamer.  Use of the term has increased with the rise of what has been oppositely dubbed ‘casual’ gaming.  Most of those who grace websites who use these terms have an intrinsic knowledge of what they mean, but for the uninitiated I have provided (arguably overly) simple definitions: Casual Gamers – People who play games almost exclusively on web browsers, mobile phones, tablets, Facebook, or (in many cases) Nintendo’s Wii and DS product lines. The games are usually visually simple, gameplay is often completely intuitive, prices are regularly cheap, and the titles themselves are generally designed for playing in short spurts, typically… (more…)

Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS has convinced me that three dimensional effects can actually add to a game’s overall experience. The recent remake of Ocarina Of Time on the 3DS looked amazing, but the 3D effect really didn’t alter the game’s gameplay in any meaningful way. In Super Mario 3D Land, it’s almost impossible to play the game with 3D disabled (something I’ve actually done with other 3DS titles). The extra spatial sense that the added dimension provides, makes traversing the game’s vibrantly designed levels significantly easier and way more fun. The game also utilizes the three dimensions to their full effect, enemies pop out from the… (more…)

It doesn’t matter what platform Tetris is on, Tetris is always just Tetris. The fact is that Tetris Axis in 3D really doesn’t add much to the usual Tetris formula; but it does look pretty cool. This title, Tetris Axis, also got me thinking: Was I really that bad at Tetris as a child? I remember not being able to make it past 20 lines. In Tetris Axis, I made it to a respectable 80 (at least respectable by my standards). Tetris Axis features online play, which is a rare addition to any 3DS title. It also has the usual Tetris modes with one interesting inclusion, climb mode (this mode was also available… (more…)

Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS maintains the simplicity that has made the storied series so highly accessible, but also manages to integrate a number of new features into the franchise. During my short play through (at a Nintendo press event in Toronto), I was particularily impressed by the multiple environments the game’s tracks encompass.  Of the four tracks I tried (they were all new tracks), my kart hang glided as well as drove under water. Some fans of the series have expressed concern that these different vehicle abilities as well as the ability to customize your kart will feel gimmicky, but from what I played, these new features… (more…)

Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS feels like a mix between Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario Bros. 3.  It’s an interesting combination, but the big question remains: Is it any good? The short answer is, yes.  From what I played, it’s very good. Four levels were available to me at Nintendo’s recent holiday press event in Toronto. One level resembled a Mario Bros. 3-esque ship while another reminded me of the fiery dungeon levels from the original Mario on the NES. The other two levels reminded me of the Super Mario Galaxy series, each adopting clean colour pallets and a multi-perspective play style. This is to be… (more…)

Star Fox 643D takes amazing advantage of the Nintendo 3DS’ 3D capabilities. It’s just a shame that it’s overall design is showing its age. Star Fox 643D is a remake of the N64 classic and is faithful to the original game. You play as Star Fox, the Lylat system’s last hope to fend off  the evil Andross. That’s about as deep as the story gets, but Star Fox 64 isn’t about the story, it’s about addictive space combat and blasting the crap out of various enemies. The gameplay is as fun as ever and controlling your Arwing fighter and Landmaster feels just as smooth as it did all those many years ago… (more…)