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 64 3D 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 64 3D 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… (more…)

Nintendogs+Cats isn’t the kind of game I typically go for, but it isn’t supposed to be. The title is obviously aimed at a younger audience, not someone who is 22-years-old and male. That being said, I’ve done my best to examine Nintendo’s pet simulator as objectively as I can and enlisted the help of my girlfriend’s 11-year-old sister, Lisa. She is, after all, the exact demographic that Nintendogs+Cats is designed for. From what I can tell, Nintendogs+Cats for the 3DS is extremely similar to the DS original. I haven’t actually played the DS version, but Lisa has, and according to her, “It’s pretty much the same as the other game.” The… (more…)

During a time when Nintendo gamers were satisfied with duking it out in Smash Bros. Melee, or cleaning up an island tarnished by the graffiti of a mysterious dark Mario, the company behind it all turned the tables. With the release of the Wii, designed to appeal to a much wider audience, it was almost as if Nintendo went under the knife. Ever since then, the word ‘Nintendo’ is synonymous with wanna-be-sleek white channel layouts, motion control, Miis, and that electronic beeping ambiance we hear on the Wii homepage. Their newest handheld, the 3DS, and the upcoming WiiU seem to follow this new face. The question is; is it working?… (more…)

Upon first examination the 3DS’ Streetpass feature seems extremely stupid – in actuality it’s pretty entertaining and rather unique. Messing around with Nintendo’s exclusive social feature landed me in a bit of potential trouble… For those that don’t know what Streetpass is, here is a brief explanation. It’s a built in Nintendo 3DS feature that makes it so that every time you pass another person who has a 3DS in sleep mode, your device sends it your Mii and you receive that persons Mii in return. You also have the option to include a short message with your Mii – which is exactly where things can get rather complicated. You can then use these new… (more…)

I’m a huge Sony fan despite anything contrary implied by the title of this post. In fact, I’m more excited for Sony’s PlayStation Vita (Vita) than for any other handheld game device ever. I fully plan on picking one up the day of release and playing until either my thumbs bleed on the awesome dual analog sticks or my wife starts threatening violence. Yet, despite my personal enthusiasm, I can’t ignore the fact that the PSV is entering a market vastly different—and dangerously more competitive—than the PlayStation Portable (PSP) entered in 2005. Don’t believe a word I’m saying? Look back through time with me to March 24th, 2005; the day… (more…)

I genuninely like the Nintendo 3DS, but it’s definitely far from perfect. I picked one up for $169 just before the price drop. Cosco decided it would be a great idea to lower the price early. This allowed me to get a 3DS for the discounted price and still qualify for Nintendo’s ambassador program – I totally worked the system yo. The first title I popped into my shinny new aqua blue handheld was The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time. I’m pleasantly suprised by how fluid and accurate the 3DS’s joystick feels. It would be nice if it had dual joysticks though; the fact that it only has one… (more…)

Remastering a Nintendo 64 classic like The Legend of Zelda Ocarina Of Time is a truly daunting task. It’s a cult classic, a game that’s affected millions of gamers and completely changed the idea of playing a three dimensional video game. The game’s developers, Grezzo, needed to maintain a delicate balance, changing just enough to make purchasing Ocarina Of Time 3d worthwhile, but also leaving much of the game untouched. Otherwise, it loses the personality and art style that makes it one of the greatest video games of all time. This balance is achieved with Ocarina Of Time 3D; it oozes nostalgia but still manages to feel fresh. The graphical… (more…)

So far, Input/Outout Feedback has focused on the Input part of the title. This week I decided to look at output for a change. Specifically, stereoscopic 3D. The 3DS price drop has opened up 3D gaming even to those on a tight budget. While some have been playing in 3D on their PS3s and their expensive TVs with expensive glasses or using nvidia’s built in 3D functionality with a pair of red/cyan glasses for quite some time, getting your hands on 3D hardware has never been priced so low. “Since 1996, when Mario appeared in 3D in Super Mario 64, it’s always been hard for players to judge how to… (more…)