Fire Emblem Fates

Release Date: February 19, 2016

Genre: Tactical role-playing

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Date Reviewed: August 8, 2016

Fire Emblem Fates is another great entry into the Fire Emblem series for the Nintendo 3DS. Ever since Awakening, Fire Emblem has been getting some good traction in North America which is fantastic. Each entry gets better than the last (best one is Sacred Stones in my opinion). Fire Emblem Fates does something a little different. There are three games to choose from in this version. Each one has their own stories, characters and even weapons. Conquest and Birthright are the two mains ones recommended to start with while Revelation is the third story which is obtained digitally at a reduced cost. Once you hit chapter 5 you have the option to choose which side you will help.

As you progress through each story line you will discover lies, truths, and shocking twists. Each story gets their own unique player hub where you can upgrade, and build vendors, prison, blacksmith, arena, etc... There is also a multiplayer option where you attack another players hub or defend your own. In Revelation you get the option of using both sides buildings and farms. Each story is different but in the end the main point of it all is to try and stop this war between the two clans.

Fire Emblem Fates also introduces a new mechanic which allows your to partner up with other units. When doing so you get a slight buff in your stats depending on your relatioship with that unit. It also increases your chances of surviving. Another similar mechanic is when you are standing beside other units they will also increase your stats during battle depending on your relationship with that unit. The better the relationship means a higher stat gain.

Conquest:

Conquest is the story of the mighty kingdom Nohr. In this version it is early discovered that you were captured as a baby. In this story you were born in Hoshido and was captured at a very young age and grew up in Nohr. Manipulated you believe your allies in Nohr are in fact your blood relatives. If you choose to defend Nohr (Conquest) you will be shunned by Hoshido. Overall the story for Conquest is fantastic and has some really cool twists and emotional ties with some of the characters. However, this was my least favorite version.
Conquest is the "classic" way of playing Fire Emblem. In Conquest there is no grinding, resources are limited and the difficulty is much higher than any other version. If you are seeking a challenge then choose this path.

Final Rating:
8.5/10

Birthright:

Birthright is the other option to choose once you in chapter 5. This focuses around the clan Hoshido. In Birthright it is again discovered that Hoshido was your birth home but instead of sticking with Nohr you decide to go with Hoshido. Hoshido is the easier option especially with people who are new to the series. Birthright allows grinding and the ability to get stronger so the tougher chapters won't be as tough. Each mode does have Lunatic mode which is always a challenge. Birthright just makes it more bearable.

Birthright is the "newer" way of playing Fire Emblem, similar to Sacred Stones in a way. I found the characters are much more likable in Birthright and the story is a bit better as well. However, this story was not my favorite.

Final Rating:
9.0/10

Revelation:

Revelation is my favorite story out of the three choices. Revelation is a combination of Conquest and Birthright. It allows you to grind if you need to but the difficulty overall is higher than Birthright. In Revelation on Chapter 5 you decide to not join either clan and form one of your own to stop the war. You later discover a place which no one can speak of and the story and history of this place. It's fantastic story but I recommend you play Birthright and Conquest before Revelation.

Revelation also gives you the option to use BOTH building styles from Conquest and Birthright, allowing you to further customize your player hub. With Revelation you gather units from both Nohr and Hoshido. So overall it makes it a much more interesting story and the difficulty is just right.

Final Rating:
9.5/10

Overall Rating:
9.0/10
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Yo-kai Watch

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: RPG

Release Date: November 6, 2015

Date Reviewed: February 2, 2016

        Finally we get this game over to the West after all of these years of being teased. Well finally the first Yo-Kai Watch is here and only on Nintendo 3DS. You are a young boy who magically discovers a capsule machine in the middle of the forest. You insert a coin and behold! A Yo-Kai appears! He quickly befriends you and explains what Yo-kai are and how you are able to obtain and see different Yo-kai's. You are on a quest to save the human world from the Yo-kai world which you find out is being ruled by an evil Yo-kai and you are trying to stop them from entering the human world.

         Yo-kai Watch is in kind of a way like Pokemon but very different from it. You do capture and tame wild monsters hiding out in the wild. You are only able to see these monsters with the power of the Yo-kai Watch which gets upgraded as you progress through the game. In order to see stronger Yo-kai you will have to keep upgrading your watch. Yo-kai's get stronger as you battle with them and some even evolve into stronger Yo-kai's. Fairly early in the game you also discover you are able to fuse certain Yo-kai together to create new and more powerful Yo-kai's.

The Combat Screen

         The world which you explore is fairly large in size for a 3DS game. As you progress you unlock new areas to explore in this huge city. Each area also has their little hidden areas such as Alley ways, tunnels, and shortcuts. Everywhere you search you are always able to find Yo-kai. Yo-kai are based on their ranks, so the higher they rank, usually it means they are stronger. Each time your watch picks up a nearby Yo-kai the watch will actually tell you the rank of the nearby monster so you will know if you're up for a challenge or not.

         Overall the story of Yo-kai watch is pretty good with some moments of laughter and some moments of sadness. The animations are beautiful and full of life. Some clips are from the TV show as well. Sometimes I did feel that the story was kind of jumbled and sometimes you forget why you're doing certain things. Besides the main story there are several side quests and favors to do to earn some extra money and experience. Some even give you items to further power your Yo-kai.

         The combat is fairly weak in my opinion. It is very fun but half the time you're sitting there watching your Yo-kai attack since it is all automated. What really drove me mad sometimes is the fact you are not able to select which attacks your Yo-kai's use. The only way to "alter" that is to change their moods with items. Some will make them more aggressive and attack physically while some will mainly focus on healing. During combat you also have control of a wheel type system on your touch screen. This is the fun part of the combat ad you are able to rotate up to six Yo-kai to fight. You also use this to give your Yo-kai items, purify them or to use their specials which are for the most part really fun to do. To use their specials you will either be spinning the wheel rapidly, cracking the glass or tapping power orbs as quickly as possible.

Interesting Boss Battles.

         The only true annoyance I had with this game was Terror Time. Terror time has a random chance to trigger. It gives you a notification with your watch in the top right corner of the screen where you will see a count down from 3. In terror time you have to escape back into the waking world without getting caught by the huge Yo-kai trying to find you. There are special chests that you are able to get in Terror Time, some have powerful items. But as time carries on more monsters spawn and it becomes difficult to hide from them. If a Yo-kai see's you it yells and calls for the Yo-kai that is hunting you down. If you get caught you have to fight him which I recommend you never do.

         Overall Yo-kai watch was a very fun experience. Lots to do, lots of Yo-kai to obtain and a huge open world map to ride around in. I highly recommend this game for the Nintendo 3DS.

Great!

9.0/10

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Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Genre: RPG
Release Date: January 22, 2016 (NA)
December 10, 2015 (Aus)
December 4, 2015 (EU)
December 3, 2015 (JPN)
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2016

            Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is another entry in the Mario & Luigi RPG series this time releasing for the Nintendo 3DS. Paper Jam is another Mario & Luigi game which combines the Paper Mario universe as well. You control Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario using A, B, and Y for each individual character. This also introduces a new bros. style which is called Trio Attack. This allows all three characters to perform a special attack similar to the Bros. Attack. Paper Jam also adds in one more additional block during combat. This is called the "Copy Block". When hitting this block you create up to 6 additional paper Mario's to stack up beside each other to perform stronger attacks. Instead of the normal two jumps you can now jump 6 times on each enemy. It is weaker but overall a bit better than Mario or Luigi's jumps.


Two Bowsers!?

               The main villain of Paper Jam is once again, Bowser. This time you need to rescue both Peach and Paper Peach as Bowser and Paper Bowser have captured them vowing to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom once again. Paper Jam starts off like it normal does in the series previous to this one. Give's you a quick tutorial on how to play, control each bro, and combat tips. As you progress through the game you retrieve new specials, and Paper Mario. Each time you receive something new the game does a good job explaining the purpose of each new mechanic. The special system is also amped up a bit where you can practice or demo each special move while you are in combat and you can practice as long as you'd like. Really great for newer players to the series.


                 In Paper Jam you explore big open areas, battle lots of enemies, and gain levels to make your characters stronger. The ranking system has made a return and is based on your levels. Unlike the previous entry the ranks in Paper Jam do not allow you to visit different stores based off your rank. There are ranks and each rank allows you to unlock a stat boost, or an effect to make your characters stronger. The story overall is average to say the least, the humour is still there with a lot of little hidden pieces that make a good laugh. Combat is good as always just would've been nice to have more "gear" options like a traditional RPG. Unless you are a dodging maniac you need to fight every enemy you come across in order to take down the bosses reasonably.


The Power of the Copy Block

                Paper Craft battles is another new mechanic to Paper Jam which feels it doesn't fit at all. They are boring, time consuming and offer next to no challenge. There are about 5 paper craft battles which you need to do. Whenever I came across one I was tempted to turn it off a couple of times. It's always great to try new things but this one was not cut out for Paper Jam. Paper Craft battles are basically giant paper statues of Mario Characters. Each battle you enter you receive a different character with different abilities. Most of the time it simply involves stunning an enemy and jumping on top of it to do damage.


                  Overall, Paper Jam is another welcomed Mario & Luigi game for the 3DS. Not the best in the series but not the worst either. Combat is smooth controlling three characters at once, a lot of the specials are reused from previous games. Trio attacks are really fun and do huge amounts of damage. Challenges make a return with thee different modes. Paper Craft battles, Boss Battles, and Specials Challenge. Paper Craft does fill the itch like all previous entries have done. I recommend you pick this game up. It roughly has 30 hours of gameplay in order to beat it, not including challenges, and achievements.

Excellent Soundtrack!

Good!
8.5/10


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Fantasy Life.

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Open World RPG

Release Date: October 24, 2014, (JPN)December 27, 2012

Date Reviewed: March 24th, 2015

Fantasy Life is an open world RPG created by Level-5. Fantasy Life is a unique game where you are able to choose what life you want to live. There are 12 different lives you can choose from with each life having a ranking system. If you want to master all lives then prepare to dish out easily over 100 hours trying to do so. There is a main campaign to this game that is roughly 8 hours or so. It took myself 28 hours to complete due to doing the side quests and mastering mining with a little of mercenary and paladin as well. Fantasy Life has a Harvest Moon/Sims/Rune Factory feel to it and it is a good mixture.

Your character and your life.

You start the game off in an attic apartment where you are then introduced to the main story, great in game features and your choice of which life to venture off into. One great thing about the life system is you are able to change your life anytime you want. Each life always starts off with a mini tutorial on how to use the skills for that life as well as materials used for that life. Each life is unique and is very different from the other. Only ones that are remotely similar are the combat lifes which they should. They can vary from Blacksmithing, Sewing, Archery, fishing, and many others. Each life has a life master who you will report to once you've completed the tasks they ask you to. Once these tasks are completed you hand them in and turn acquire stars. Once you have hit the stars required you will rank up that life. Each rank up provide a stat increase associated with that life and new skills. For example if you are a miner you will learn a new skill where you can power up your attacks every time you mine a node.

Open World fun!

Fantasy life allows you to buy new homes, decorate them and own one home in each section of the world acquiring a total of 3 homes at a time. Another great feature is being able to play with your friends or other people online. This is a great opportunity to show off your homes and even take down some bosses that you are unable to solo. Only downfall to this is if you do not have the DLC and your friends does; you will not be able to play with them unless you have the DLC as well. Other than that your other party member can fully explore and help you take on some powerful monsters and complete those tough quests. Highly recommended feature to use.

Overall Fantasy Life is great for RPG fans alike. It is a cute little RPG that has a long of bang for your buck. Pick your life and explore Riveria with your friends, take down powerful foes, decorate your home, and have some fun! This game is highly recommended.


GREAT GAME
9/10

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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

Platform: Nintendo 3DS, "New" Nintendo 3DS

Platform Reviewed f or: "New" Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Action-Adventure.

Release Date: February 13, 2015

Date Reviewed: March 20th, 2015

       Majora's Mask 3D is an HD remake of the N64 version from the year 2000. 15 years later and lots of begging from the fans we have it remade for the Nintendo 3DS. I played this on the "NEW" 3DS XL and the 3DS XL and prefer it a lot more on the newer model for the simple reason of the C-Stick which makes the camera very tolerable and easy to handle. The 3DS version offers a lot of new features and tweaks to the game. Some of these new additions include the addition of the Bomber Handbook. I find this useful because whenever you talk to and important NPC that offers a side quest it automatically goes into your notebook and what times they can be seen at and also offer additional hints on where to begin. Another feature with the book is the ability to set in game alarms so if you need to be at a certain place at a certain time you can set an alarm to notify you. One feature I wish they would've added to the book is the ability to draw or take notes yourself. If you walk around town and talk with the other Bomber Gang children then will tell you the heard a rumor and it will also automatically get put into your notebook.

Great Interface.

      Majora's Mask 3D is not only a beautiful game but very accessible. You are able to switch between items a lot faster on the fly. With the addition of two more item slots you are even able to assign two more items to your touch screen for the use of more items. Majora's Mask 3D looks really great with the 3D enabled, especially on the “New” 3DS because of the built in face detection. The controls are smooth, and very easy to master. The gameplay plays the same as the original and Ocarina of Time 3D with a few added tweaks to bring it up to date to today's standards. You go around to four temples and retrieve the mask off of each boss in order to awaken 4 gods to stop the moon from crashing and destroying Clock Town. However, this is done on a time limit of only 3 days and every time you go back into time in order to add more time to be able to beat the other temples you need to actually revisit each temple again in order to engage with Skull Kid. The beauty of this though is when you go back to a previous temple after already beating it a portal will open up at the entrance of each temple to send you back to the bosses. On top of the main quest there are many many side quests you can do in the game. The most disappointing factor from all of this is the lack of temples to go through and of course…..Great Bay Temple is still evil and annoying as ever.

Bombers Notebook is a great addition!

     Overall Majora’s Mask 3D is another exceptional HD remake in the Zelda series. Just like the prior Ocarina of Time 3D this wasn't just a simple remake. The controls are great which is vastly improved by the C-stick on the “New” Nintendo 3DS handhelds. The 3D is exceptional as well but again better on the “New” model thanks to facial detection. Even if this is your first time playing Majora’s Mask this is a must own game for your collection. The story is dark which provides a different take on the series. This is probably one of the most emotional games in the Zelda series since it mainly involves with death. The only really negative thing about this game is Great Bay Temple and the lack of main temples. Great work! Hope we will see more like this.

MUST OWN!
9/10

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Mario Golf World Tour

Console: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Sports

Release Date: May 2, 2014

Date Reviewed: June 30, 2014

Ahhh good ol’ Mario Golf. I have fond memories from playing the very first Mario Golf game for the Nintendo 64. I was so into the game than I even remember one of the cheat codes from when it first came out 10+ years ago. KPXWN9N3 was the code me and my brother memorized and for some reason it is still stuck in my head. Mario Golf for the Nintendo 3DS is another great addition to the series.

Gameplay:

First off there is so much to do in Mario Golf. You can’t decide which mode to choose from first. I personally started with the Mii Castle Club. This mode allows you to gold with your personal Mii character in the game. The point of this mode is to challenge the three different course tournaments and try and get gold on each one. Doing so will reward you with an award ceremony cutscene with the Nintendo characters as well as a gold cup for that course. Winning one of these will also allow you to unlock the use of these courses in the challenge mode and all other modes. On top of that for completing certain goals in any golf game you will unlock a new piece of gear for your Mii character. These pieces of gear are used to upgrade you Mii. It could be to increase your Mii’s power, their sweet spot or control of the ball. So choose wisely and pick the gear based on how you play the game. You can even unlock character costumes to add to your collection for your Mii to wear. Wearing a Princess Peach costume as a man with a beard looks kind of weird. Once you complete the course tournaments you can then take to some challenge competitions to unlock more things for your Mii. Some of them are very challenging but worth it in the end. One other thing I would like to add is when you play in the Mii Castle Club you also earn a handicap rating depending on how well you do. This handicap is very smart because it allows the game to figure out the difficulty for the tournaments.

Great courses.

Another mode is the “Quick Golf” mode. This mode has other modes inside of the selection. Such as challenge mode to earn star coins. When you earn a certain amount of star coins you will unlock courses, and even new playable characters such as Birdo and Kamek. The other options are just basic modes to play if you’re in a hurry. It can be Vs. mode with a CPU character, Stroke Play to play a quick 9 or 18 hole round of golf by yourself and an offline point tourney mode. If you really want to test your golfing skills there is even an online mode where you play against other players. The online feature is really great as you can set your own rules, enter tournaments created by Nintendo to win in game prizes, and even community tournaments that other players make themselves.

In order to purchase the unlockable gear for your Mii characters you will need to buy them with coins. Coins are extremely easy to earn in Mario Golf. You earn them by simply just golfing. There are even courses that you can play where you need to get coins floating around the course which adds to your overall coin pool. With Mario Golf: World Tour there is an option to buy some DLC packs for the game. I highly recommend this because each pack adds a new character and a brand new course to play on. If you buy the season pass you get Gold Mario as a character which is a great way to earn some extra coins. Fantastic buy and really fun, especially for casual players.

Graphics:

The graphics and visuals in Mario Golf are actually really good for it being on the 3DS. All of the character models look fantastic with great animations. Each character has their own unique animation which really adds to the game. The environment on each course is very unique and is never the same. Each course has their own them like bowser’s castle or cheep cheep beach. You will always know which course it belongs too. Costumes look very nice; the customization option for your Mii also is great with a large variety of golf clubs, shirts, golf balls, etc…

Great Items Selection.

The 3D also adds a very nice effect to the game. I personally don’t really care for 3D but I was impressed by it. It adds a whole new perspective when you are golfing and is sometime breath taken. The best times to use the 3D feature are during the golf matches. It gives you a whole new view and the environment surrounds you. I find it really absorbs you into the game more than playing in 2D. Other than that the 3D doesn’t make too much of a difference while walking around or navigating the menus. It is still a nice feature overall.

Soundtrack/Music:

Not really much to say here due to it being a golf game. The music is pretty standard and quite. Nothing really unique about the in game music. The in game sounds are great overall and the menu music is really nice as well. Other than that it’s pretty average, not in a bad way just nothing the really WOWS you with the music.

Overall Rating: 9.0

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Console: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: RPG

Release Date: November 22nd, 2013

Date Reviewed: December 27th, 2013

Gameplay:

LOZ: A Link Between Worlds is the newest game added to the Zelda series. A Link Between Worlds is a direct sequel to A Link to the Past for the SNES. After many long years they finally decided to do a sequel to the original. A Link Between Worlds is pure gold and is a must own for everyone. The game is like the original where the camera is a top view camera of Link. It does an excellent job as staying to it's roots from the original with the camera view, the enemies, the temples, and you are in the exact world from A Link to the Past. You start off by sleeping in of coarse and the Blacksmith's son comes to wake you up because you are late as usual for work. When you arrive to the blacksmith's shop he is talking to someone very important. As soon as the important figure leaves the blacksmith proceeds to give you trouble for being so late. After he finished yelling at you he notices that the man forgot his sword. Your errand is to find the man and give him is sword. From this point on, your adventure begins. A Link Between Worlds uses the 3DS extremely well. The game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second with no FPS drops at all. The biggest feature I love about this game is you can do the temples in any order you choose. You don't find your items in the dungeon anymore such as the bow or hook shot. Instead you can rent out all of the items or purchase them for yourself with rupees. This is a very smart thing to be added to the game because with this feature, the game allows you to do any of the temples in any order you choose. There is not a wrong way of doing things. This makes the world feel very open.

The Shop where you buy/rent items!

 

Each temple is fun with clever boss mechanics in each temple. Some of the bosses are beyond easy but what do you expect in a Zelda game now. There will always be a few easy ones. As you progress you discover that you can go into an alternate Hyrule. This place is called Lorule that is ruled by Zelda's counterpart Hilda. In order to access this world you are able to turn into a painting and walk along walls into tears which teleports you into Lorule. Although the overworld is largely the same as that of A Link to the Past, all the dungeons are totally new. Exploration of dungeons utilize the game's 3D effects and feature Link jumping between levels to solve puzzles and advance. It feels very smooth when you transition into new areas.

Like in previous Zelda titles there are always collectable items to be found. When you find all of the babies you get a new attack for your sword. Every time you return 12 at a time the mother will upgrade any of your items of your choosing to make them more powerful. Rupees are much more important in this game because you have to buy the items and they are not cheap. However, rupees are extremely easy to find and add up quickly.

2D Painting of yourself!  

Overall the gameplay is truly remarkable. It has a lot of nostalgia for the old fans and well as some new ones for people who started the series later on. This game has something for everyone. The world is huge, lots to explore, lots of puzzles, and collectables. All of these encourage the play to explore both worlds of Hyrule and Lorule.

Graphics:
The game follows the top-down two-dimensional gameplay of various Zelda games, especially A Link to the Past, though it is now presented with stereoscopic 3D graphics when played on the Nintendo 3DS. The top screen is used as the main screen, while the bottom touch screen contains the map, gear, and items. The loading screen consists of a black screen with a Triforce in the lower right corner. It runs smoothly at 60 FPS with new reduce in frames anywhere in the game. It is very colourful, the environments are large and very beautiful and full of life.

Comparison.

Sound:
The game features slightly updated sound effects from A Link to the Past. The music tracks are arrangements of the originals. In addition to the music from A Link to the Past, the Streetpass battle mode of the game includes two remixed and rearranged versions of the Temple Theme from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The Streetpass mode is inspired by the final "Shadow Link" boss fight from the NES game. It sounds fantastic and has a lot of nostalgia while just listening to the music.

Conclusion:
A Link Between Worlds is a highly recommend, must own game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is one of the best Zelda games ever created. New fans and old fans alike will find something they love about this game. Whether it be the nostalgia, music, graphics, or game play in general, people will find something they love about it. This game provides a lot to do and you can do it in any order you choose to. Fantastic, I hope to see more. Also, when you beat the game, test your skill in Hero Mode.

Overall Score:

10/10

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Pokemon X/Y

Console: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: RPG

Release Date: October 12th, 2013

Date Reviewed: November 10th, 2013

Gameplay:

Finally! A 3D styled Pokemon game. We have been waiting for this for a very long time. Pokemon X and Y and the newest instalment in the Pokemon series. The route they went with is a fantastic one! 3D Pokemon! Something everyone has wanted. The gameplay for X and Y is the exact same as the previous titles. Where you collect 8 badges and challenge the elite 4. Like with every other Pokemon game you also have a rival, and an antagonist. In X and Y it is Team Flare. These guys are basically trying to destroy all of Kalos to get rid of all the selfish people in the world, and yes it would effect the Pokemon as well. Basically there is this machine hiding underground in one of the towns. This machine was built 1000 years ago by a man. He originally used this machine to revive his lost Pokemon Floette who died during the war 1000 years ago. Once the man succeeded he was filled up with rage of what happened. So he turned this machine into a death machine essentially and wiped out a big chunk of the Kalos region in order to stop and war and get revenge. This resulted in killing innocent Pokemon. Floette was very sad at what she had saw and left the man. To this day he has no idea where she is and is very sad. I will not go into any more detail without spoiling it. 

The new Pokemon Starters.

X and Y has the same model that we still love to this date. The Kalos region has 68 brand new Pokemon for you to catch. As soon as you enter the world of Pokemon you notice a huge difference. Everything is in glorious 3D! You start out by picking one of the three Pokemon starters to adventure with you. There are three new starters and they are Froakie, Fennekin, and Chespin. When you pick your Pokemon your adventure begins. I love the transition between the badges. You don`t fight the first gym leader until your Pokemon are in their 20's. In this new 3D world there is a lot more areas to explore. Each battle is unique because the Pokemon now have animations as they are in 3D. The moves all also animated making it feel much more interactive. There are also a ton of Pokemon to catch right from the start. You can catch Pokemon from all previous generations. What I love most about this game is the exploration. Since the world map is a lot bigger than previous Pokemon games there are a lot more areas to explore. Probably one of the biggest features that I like the most is EXP Share. EXP share is now a key item. When you turn it on, the Pokemon that you are using will get the full amount of experience (not half) and all of your Pokemon in your party will get half of that experience. So levelling if much easier and quicker. 

Pokemon Y Legendary

X and Y offers a ton of new features such as a way to interact with your Pokemon one on one. You need to use this if you want to evolve Eevee into Sylveon. If you use this on your Pokemon it will increase their happiness, and other stats. If they are maxed out that Pokemon will get bonuses such as more exp per battle, chance to get rid off status's like poison and sleep on it's own. Another cool feature is new new Wi-Fi features. When you are at home and say have a lot of friend on your 3DS using the friend code system. You can turn on the Wi-Fi within the game and immediately begin interacting with all of your friends. You can give a shout out, edit your personal profile so they can all see, view their videos, battle, trade, and even voice chat with them. On top of that you will see passerby's. This means when someone in the world is in the exact same location you are, you are able to see them and trade, battle, or interact with them. The other spot is for you acquaintances. You get these people on your list if you trade or battle someone randomly in the world or use the wonder trade system. The Wonder trade system is fantastic. You put up a random Pokemon and it will randomly find someone in the world to trade with. Now you both do not know what Pokemon you each put up for trade. So you don't ever know what you will get. They did the same thing with the battle spot option. Battle a random person around the world. 

Another cool option to use is the trainer. You can train your Pokemon by playing games with them. There is a different game for each stat. If you successfully complete these games your Pokemon will get a small stat increase as well as an item. You can even win stones. This is basically an easy way of EV training. With X and Y you can finally customise your personal trainer. You can give them hats, accessories, facial hair, and new clothing. Each clothing store has it's own unique items that you can buy to customise your trainer. It has a lot of different options. With all of the new things added you will be easily putting 100 hours into this game if not more. A brand new feature added to X and Y are Mega Evolutions. There are 26 Pokemon that can use this new feature. In order to use it you much have their mega stone. These are activated during battles and only last for the duration of each battle. Each mega evolution has it's own unique look and gets a nice stat increase to help turn the battle around. 

Some of the Mega Evolutions!

They are adding a new feature which comes out on December 27th, 2013. It is called Pokemon Box. It is a paid service but only costs $5 per year. What it does is stores your Pokemon onto a server so you never lose them. With this you can transfer pokemon from Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heartgold, Soulsilver, Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 into this storage system. This will allow you to then transfer them into your X and Y versions of the game. They also included this because X and Y have a limited amount of storage space in game for your Pokemon. There is roughly 13 boxes, so if you want to catch them all you might want to buy this service. Overall there is so much to do and explore in the Kalos region. You can even ride Pokemon like Gogoat or Rhyhorn! You also get a pair of roller bladed which automatically activates when you use your joystiq. Lots to do and is to much to do that I can't fit it all in my review.

Graphics:

As I said earlier X and Y are now in glorious 3D. It runs very smoothly with no frame issues. As soon as you leave your house into the Kalos region it plays a little cut scene which is perfectly done because it gives you the sense of the 3D. All of the battles are in 3D. All Pokemon are 3D animated and every move has it's own unique animation as well. Every time you walk into a new area it is different. You can see the lush and colourful environments and even see the grass blowing with the wind. The fly and surf animations look incredible as well. There are a lot of cut scenes in the game as well. They are all very well done and look incredible to watch. Even using the 3D option on the 3DS makes the game pop out. I can't say much more without you experiencing it for yourself. 

Pokemon in 3D!

Sound:

The soundtrack is great in X and Y. The Pokemon centres have new music. The soundtrack for this game is great and you can tell a lot of time was put into it. The battle sounds are great when you use a move and the Pokemon cries are all awesome. My personal favourite is when you battle a Pikachu. Pikachu will do it's cry from the show "Pika!". One of my favourites has always been the battle music when you are fighting legendaries, or the final person in the Elite 4. Again, they are pure awesome. 

Conclusion:

X and Y are here. These games are fantastic. There is so much to do, so much to experience. So much nostalgia. Any fan of Pokemon or RPG games in general will love this game. It is a must buy. Go experience this great new world of Pokemon. Go catch those legendaries. Gotta catch em' all!

Overall Score:

9.5/10

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Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Console: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Role-Playing

Release Date:  August 11th,  2013

Date Reviewed: September 19th, 2013

Gameplay:

Dream Team is the fourth instalment of the Mario & Luigi series. The first one came out for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and it was called Superstar Saga. In 2005 the second one came out for Nintendo DS called Partners in Time. Then in 2008 the third one was release for the Nintendo DS which was called Bowser's Inside Story. Then finally the current game known as Dream Team came out on Nintendo 3DS on August 11, 2013 called Dream Team. Overall all of the Mario & Luigi games have been very well done and have all been well received. 

Dream Team is on a whole new platform and introduces some new and exciting game play for 3DS holders. There are a couple of major things that I enjoy in the series that keeps me coming back for more. Those are; the length of game play (usually over 30 hours), the humour, RPG genre, side quests, and Luigi. Luigi has always been my favourite character and he has a big role in Dream Team. He has always made the game very enjoyable with the character he portraits in the series. Luigi is always the scared and clumsy type in the series which provides a ton of laughter. The length of the game is always just right, and the difficulty towards the end always gets higher the further you go. Some of the bosses provide a nice challenge.

Giant Battle!

Dream Team starts off like a typical Mario game where Princess Peach gets captured and you have to save her. With Dream Team they added another new mechanic. Luigi has the power to fall asleep in certain areas and open up dream portals. These dream portals allow access to the dream world which provides the typical 2D platformer game play from classic Mario games. While the real world provides 3D open world game play. A fantastic mixture. Dream Team also introduces Giant Battles like in Bowser's Inside Story. You can only turn giant in the dream world as Luigi calls forth multiple copies of himself to save Mario and turn giant. These giant battles are very fun and each giant battle is different. When in a giant battle you mainly play as Luigi but Mario is there to help out with healing, special attack and the finisher move. Everything else is controlled by Luigi. 

The dream world didn't interest me a whole lot but it was still enjoyable. One of the mechanics for the dream world are these dream points. To activate these you use Dreamy Luigi to turn into these objects. When Dreamy Luigi turns into these objects they play an important role to solve the puzzles. They can vary from adjusting gravity, turning the world upside down, or even fast forward and slow time. There are others as well. To use these objects or dream points you need to use the touch screen. For example to make a big gust of wind so you can jump farther you need to rotate Sleepy Luigi's nose. To turn the world upside down you need to make sure Luigi is sleeping on a floater and rotate his body upside down or side ways. Really great mechanics. 

Dream Portal opened by Luigi!

As for that Dream Team plays like all of the other Mario & Luigi games where you buy new gear, explore, do side quests, gain levels, earn badges and also rank up. The ranking system is back and now goes up to rainbow rank which is level 40. Also new is whenever you rank up you get to choose a new skill to add to your slots. They can be adding an extra gear slot, earning an extra point in any stat when you level, experience booster, increase power, etc... There are also brand new bros. attacks as well as the new dream attacks. Mario and Luigi earn their own separate bros. attacks but are used together like in previous games. Also new to the game are the dream world attacks which are essentially bros. attacks but can only be used in the dream world. 

Overall the game is extremely fun with lots to do an explore. There are also small side quests you can do as well as activities. You can go around and find camera boxes, take them back and solve the puzzle to earn some beans. The bros. attacks game is also back where you try and go as long as you can, and a lot more others to be discovered.

One of the Dream Attacks.

Graphics:

The art style is very different compared to previous games in the series. The real world graphics on Mario and Luigi are very different. It looks as if they are almost made of clay. I think the new art style is great and changes it up a bit. The real world is a full 3D environment like in previous games but with the Nintendo 3DS it is a lot more colourful. The dream world is a 2D environment. The backgrounds in the dream world are fantastic, they are colourful and always different. One of my favourite parts in the dream world is while you are walking small flowers and plants quickly sprout up as you walk and vanish. The area where you are in Luigi's dream center is amazing. While you walk you see little Luigi figures running around which small quotes floating in the background. 

Boss Time!

The 3D effect in Dream Team is the best I have ever seen on the Nintendo 3DS. The best parts in the game to turn on the 3D is during battles and boss battles especially. Some of the battles require you to run away from the boss or objects and it looks like they are running towards you. I was blown away by the 3D effect that I actually used it. Some of the bros. attacks have an option to turn the 3D effect on or off with the "R" button. If you keep it on you need to use the 3D vision to help you get these attacks "Excellent". The effect is just amazing.

Audio:

Honestly this is probably my favourite part of the game. The audio is so beautiful. I love the soundtrack so much. The boss battles, dream world, Luigi dream center, are my most favourite locations for the soundtrack. When you are in Luigi's dream center it makes you feel sad for Luigi. That is what they are trying to portrait in that location of the game. The soundtrack was so enjoyable I put my 3DS down and just listened to the music. I give Nintendo high props for the music.

The battle music is great as always. The boss battle soundtrack is phenomenal. Overall the audio is fantastic! I had the volume on all the time and even hooked it up to my speakers a couple of times. The final boss battle music is creepy and really makes the experience feel like a boss battle.

Just a sample of the Music.

Conclusion:

Dream Team is the best Mario & Luigi in the series. Every time they release a new Mario & Luigi it is ALWAYS better than the last one. If you are just a fan of good game this is A MUST buy for the Nintendo 3DS. This will be a fast treasure in your collection. The music is outstanding, graphics, game play, everything makes this game what it is. This game made Luigi more of a badass. The ending with the giant boss battle against Bowser showed what Luigi is made off. When Bowser turns giant and attacks them Luigi jumped into the action immediately full of confidence and turned giant to defeat Bowser.

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Console: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Social Simulation Game

Release Date: June 9th, 2013

Date Reviewed: August 26th, 2013

Gameplay:

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a social simulation game by Nintendo. It is the fourth game in the series to have come out in North America, the first one being on Nintendo Gamecube. First off I would like to say t here is so much things to do in this game it is mind blowing. You start off Animal Crossing travelling to a new town that you name yourself. As soon as you arrive everyone thinks you are the new mayor they were waiting for. So right off the bat you become mayor of your town. When you first start playing this game it starts a bit slow then gradually works it's way up to be something you don't have time to do everyday. You start off with living in a tent. While you are living in this tent you are to work and make money to pay Tom Nook to be able to buy a starter house. Now once you pay off your house you can move forward and do other things. I will try my best to list as much as I can in this review. So once you purchase your first house you can keep on upgrading it to make it bigger and bigger. Obviously the more you upgrade the more it will cost you. On top of upgrading your house you need to run your town. Once enough people like you, you will be able to add additions to your town like buildings, bridges, fountains, parks, etc... and make the town the way you want it to be. In order to make these creations you need to also have the money to purchase those things. To do that you set up a donation pool. You can donate it yourself or have some people come visit your town and make donations. So after you have set up your town it is time to do other things. Why not go to the island and take part in some games with some friends or maybe by yourself. Done that? Okay how about you go enter the bug catching contest that happens once every month on a Saturday and win the trophy!

Fishing and Swimming with Friends.

There is so much to do in this game it is hard to list them all in here. There are events, season, weather, farming, creating, exploring. In New Leaf there is even a strip mall in your town across the train tracks, The more you spend or the more time you play New Leaf the more they get upgraded. That isn't all though, as you progress through the game new shops get added to your little shopping centre. Once thing I really enjoy about New Leaf is the fact that you can go and visit ANYONE'S town and explore, help, play games, etc... Once you have played two full weeks of New Leaf you are able to enter other towns that other people have created. You can even go into one Nintendo themselves have created! The possibilities are endless and you will never get bored and fully complete this game. Overall this game is an absolute joy and recommend every get this.

Graphics:

If you are familiar with any Animal Crossing game the graphics or style of the game are usually the same. The one think I find weird about the graphics in New Leaf is how shiny the grass in the game is. The graphics in this game take advantage of the 3DS. The character models are great looking and the environment are fantastic as well. The style of this game is more of a cartoony style. But it all looks sharp and crisp. Whats really enjoyable is the different seasons that par take in this game. Each season has it's own unique look and feel to it. Every season has something great to offer and makes the game that much more beautiful. Fall has a lot of different colours, winter is as white as ever with the Christmas holiday around the corner it adds a ton of colour, spring is bright and beautiful with flowers and rain showers, and summer is hot, green, and beautiful as well. Whatever the day, season, night, event, and others, Animal Crossing: New Leaf looks fantastic! Overall this is one great looking game.

Exploring the Island.

Audio:

New Leaf has a TON of great bits of audio in the game. Whether it is the music while you are walking around outside, at a store, or even at the night club the variety is endless. Another great feature is say you win one of the Nintendo items from the fortune cookies each one has it's own audio. For example with the Triforce when you press "A" on it it will play the triforce sound with a nice animation to it. Eventually you are also even able to get a CD player and buy or find your own music to spice your house up and bit more. Overall the music in this game is fantastic!

Pretty House!

Conclusion:

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is probably the best Animal Crossing game to date in my opinion. There is so much to do in this game you will never get bored of it. From exploring, playing games, decorating, visiting other peoples towns, playing with friends, shopping, upgrading, fossil finding, fishing, bug catching, events, your birthday, etc... this game and endless amount of content for you to enjoy. The graphics are fantastic, audio, and everything else! I highly recommend this game.

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Something Different:
Hey everyone. So I was contacted a little while ago asking if I could help out a fellow gamer. I immediately jumped to the opportunity and told him I would love to help him out.

Please follow Leonard! Leonard has just started a mobile gaming company known as TatumGames. He will be posting a kickstarter page in early September for one of his projects. Please show him some love and support and help a fellow gamer out.

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