Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies (DS)

Dragon Quest IX Sentinel of the Starry Skies is, or rather was, incredibly revolutionary when it came out a few years ago as it was the first game for the Nintendo DS to have a sort of proto-spotpass mechanic where you could leave your game on and wander around your town or city “Canvassing for Guests” which can net you treasure maps, friend codes, and even rare items! In Japan this feature was so popular and so widely used it set a world record for the most amount of people playing a game over local wireless; despite the obvious success of the feature in Japan it apparently hasn’t been nearly as successful in the west due to lower population densities and the fact that the Dragon Warrior series has always been fairly niche in west. Gamestop, Bestbuy, and several other retailers setup events to remedy the problem which yielded mild success. Dragon Quest IX isn’t a one trick pony it not only boasts one unique feature it also has local and online multiplayer where you and up to three other people can wander around the entire world completely separate from one another or all together, to wrap it all up in a nice big bow the game also boasts enough features to keep you satisfied for up to 700+ hours going through the story, the post-story, exploring the world, getting all the items, and getting to know all the people of the world.

That shit be crazy.

The story of Dragon Quest IX Sentinel of the Starry Skies goes like this: You are a sentinel who’s job it is to protect a small town named Angel Falls in the Protectorate (the place where all the humans live). One day after returning the Observatory after looking after the protectorate tradgy strikes upon offering your prayers to Yggdrasil the Observatory is assaulted by many beams of light causing you and many other Sentinels to fall to the Protectorate. You come to in Angel Falls and realize that your wings are missing from there you travel the breadth of the world making friends, battling evil, and rekindling an ancient love all in order to protect the people of the protectorate.

And hanging out in inns!

Full disclosure, this game did nothing but impress me. The writing for the game is hilarious with a great use of puns and nods to existing things (like when you need to find the Encyclopedia Gittanica). As you travel the world you’ll find that not every person speaks the same as there are regional dialects and colloquialisms which makes speaking to NPC’s much more interesting then in most games. The games story is loads of fun as I found myself enjoying the many characters and twists (spoilers?) once you’ve beaten the story some of the story characters can be recruited as actual party members for exploring the post game world. I’ve mentioned the word "Post” affixed to a few words and that’s because after you beat the story the game still has hundreds of in-depth quests you can pursue which expand on history of the world, character backgrounds, or yield awesome loot.

Spikes are heroic right?

Anyone who is familiar with the Dragon Warrior franchise probably knows it best as that series where turn-based battles are all done from a first person view with enemies that have very silly names. Well Dragon Quest IX has all the silly names but none of that first person nonsense, now battles are all happen in the third dimension but retain the turn-based system. Another dropped feature was the archaic random battle feature most RPG’s still cling to as all enemies are visible in the overworld and dungeons when you are exploring and can be avoided (assuming they don’t spot you) by going around them or using a skill or item to make you temporarily invisible. In multiplayer each individual player can engage in and end battles on their own separate of other players they can also each explore different parts of the world and towns at whim which is a pretty great feature.

I mentioned earlier that the game has over 700 hours of content, the main story is about 40+ hours and the rest is side quests, post-game story quests, and item quests. If anything when you play Dragon Quest IX you at no point will be wanting for something to do as quests and adventure almost literarily ooze out of the cartridge itself. Not only is there much adventure to be had but the world is fairly open-ended, once you get past the first couple of missions you’ll be free to explore the world at your leisure and the world opens up even more over time as you get spells and items that will help you explore.

And there are King Slimes!

One key feature that I have neglected to mention was the character creation. Its fairly varied and the designs are done by Akira Toriyama who you may know from his work on DragonBall, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon so the designs will look fairly similar to things you may have seen if you have played any game he’s watched or watched the animes he’s worked on.

Obviously the protagonists are Saiyans, or Sun Wukong…

You can mess around with your characters height, gender, hair and face to make the hero you’ve always wished you could be, you can also do this with your companions as you can completely design them to look however you want them to and you get to even pick their starting class. Although these aren’t Bethesda level customization features they are good enough that you can create for yourself a unique set of heroes to save the world with. All equipment also appears on the characters which means you can also alter all of a characters equipment to change their appearance to look however goofy or cool you want them to be and with the large quantities of clothing and armor options then are tons of potential looks.

Or you can leave them in pleb gear and make them all pack mules while real heroes adventure.

Dragon Quest IX is by far one of the best multiplayer RPG’s I’ve played in a while and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants not only a game with loads of story and content but for those looking for a game to play with friends (they’ll need copies of the game too). At no point in my time playing this game was a disappointed the difficulty scaling, the humor, and the story all kept me engaged straight to the end and then some.  Pick yourself up a copy, you won’t regret it.

What Handheld should I get? Pros and Cons (Gen VII Edition) Part 1–The Nintendo DS

In the same vein as my last article on the Pros and Cons of the PS3, Xbawks 360, and Wii I’ll be looking at the two main hand-held consoles and their variants. For those uninitiated the two major Handheld Consoles being discussed in this article are the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. Each handheld has had multiple variants released over the years that either had extra features of better compatibility. I won’t lie and profess that the only handheld consoles released in the seventh generation of consoles were the PSP and the DS but consoles like the Gizmondo, CAANOO, GP2X, Pandora, Zone 30 in 1, and the Mi2. These other handhelds never achieved mainstream popularity and are pretty hard to find in a conventional store, so I have chosen to omit them and instead look at the two behemoths the Nintendo DS and PSP and each of their revisions. This will be a two part article due to how long they will each be.

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Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is the successor to the Gameboy Advance and was Nintendo’s handheld foray into the Seventh Generation of gaming consoles and was originally released on November 21, 2004. The Nintendo DS was the first successful handheld to utilize a touchscreen and started a trend of companies attempting to be innovative in the gaming industry. The Nintendo DS uses 8-512 Megabyte cartridges utilizing flash memory for all saves (unless of course you are too cool for saving), the increased size of the game carts over their Gameboy Advance cart nephews allowed for improved graphics and even 3D sprites. Another feature of the DS was the beginning of the trend to include WiFi connectivity in handhelds replacing the old link cables of yesteryear. WiFi made playing multiplayer games a breeze and generally had a range of about 7 or 8 feet. WiFi could also be used to play games with people far away by using your own internet connection to connect to a Nintendo server. The revolutionary features don’t end there, you could use the DS to download game Demos from the Wii and for some games you could connect your DS to the Wii itself.
Since the creation of the Nintendo DS it has gone under several revisions including the Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DSi XL. Not to mention the many collectors variants of the handheld.
Pros and Cons of the System (Overall)
Pros:
Large Number of High Quality First Party Games: The Nintendo DS has an overabundance of great first party titles from many stable franchises like the Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon and Star Fox.
Decent amount of Quality Second and Third Party Games: Atlus and other third party companies release quite a few good games on the console from stable franchises like the Megami Tensei series and Namco’s Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series.
Inexpensive: Depending on Model a DS won’t usually set you back $60-$75 with the most being around the $100 range.
Almost Non-existent hardware issues: Sans the DS Lite, the DS series suffers very rarely from design issues with the worst possible thing usually being a speaker dying in an old DS Phat.
Large Gaming Library: Overall the Nintendo DS’s game library is massive and caters to a variety of audiences.
Touch Screen Utilization: The Handheld has a touch screen, it works flawlessly.
Cheap and Easy Repair: Regardless of Model Nintendo DS replacement parts are easy to find and for the most part are easy to replace. Screen replacement is as easy as opening the handheld up, unplugging a ribbon and plugging the new one in.
Good Battery Life: All of the DS models have battery lives ranging from 12 to 15 hours of continuous play while having screen brightness set to default. On maximum settings its around 6 to 8 hours.
Region-Free: All DS games are region free and can be played on any Nintendo DS except the iQue Model,because China is communist >:(
Microphone: The Console(s) have a built in microphone which is utilized in certain games that require the player to talk or for certain games that allow voice chatting via Nintendo WiFi Connection or Local WiFi.
Cons:
Region Locked Consoles: The DSi and DSi XL are region locked.
Large Amount of Shovelware: As with any console with a large library (see: Playstation) there is bound to be a good deal of Shovelware. For every Mario and Luigi game there will be about 15 Imagine Ballerina games.
Limited Backwards Compatibility: Of the line of Nintendo DS’s the only two capable of backwards compatibility are the Original Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite. These two handhelds are capable of playing Gameboy Advance games but not Gameboy or Gameboy Color games.

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• The Nintendo DS (Original/Phat)
• Released: November 21, 2004

The Nintendo DS Original or “Phat” as the internet tends to refer it, was the first model of the console and is the second largest in size of the series of consoles. Being the first in the series it only contained the basic features of the console. The Original DS had basic WiFi connectivity in order to play games locally or online via the Nintendo WiFi Connection service. It also has PictoChat, a local chat feature which can accommodate up to 8 people per chat room and there are 4 rooms meaning up to 42 people total in a given area can engage in PictoChat.
Pros and Cons (of the console)
Pros:
Backwards Compatibility: Capable of playing Gameboy Advance games, not but Gameboy or Gameboy Color games.
Sturdy: From my hands on experience I have deduced that the DS Phat is practically invulnerable when it comes to drops, getting kicked, being sat upon, and other situations in which a lesser console would become irreparably harm.
Cheap and Easy to Repair: Repair parts are cheap and easy to find and require no soldering or any advanced techniques to replace.
Cheap: The Original Model DS is the cheapest model, so for the price conscious it may be best to purchase an Original Model DS.
Cons:
Small Screen Size: The Original Model DS has a very small screen which is around the size of the Gameboy advances. So for those with very bad eyes it may be better to avoid this particular version.
Dead Pixels: Commonly the Original Model DS’s would have Dead Pixels, which ultimately don’t inhibit Gameplay but are very annoying.
Shortest battery life: Averages 6 to 8 hours.

Best Game of 2010!

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• Nintendo DS Lite
• Released: June 11, 2006

The Nintendo DS Lite is the most popular model of Nintendo DS, it combines a sleek lightweight design with all the functionality of the original Model. The Nintendo DS Lite has the most color variations and limited edition bundle versions out of any of the Nintendo DS’s and up until recently was the staple DS of choice for many. Despite some aesthetic differences the DS Lite is exactly the same as the Original DS.
Pros and Cons of the System
Pros:
Compact Design: The DS Lite is about 20% smaller with a sleeker design.
Adjustable Backlight: The DS Lite is the first DS to have an adjustable backlight which could increase battery life by setting the DS the lowest brightness setting, or you could maximize that biatch and illuminate a room. (There are four levels of backlight.)
Easy to Find: Despite the Original Model being cheaper the DS Lite is slightly more common due to it’s overall popularity.
Cons:
Flimsy Design: Unlike it’s larger older brother, the DS Lite is plagued with problems due either cheap plastics of overall weakness of design. The most common problems are the hinge to the top screen breaking, the shoulder buttons malfunctioning, and the D-pad ceasing to function.
Glossy Finish: The glossy finish on the handheld broadcasts fingerprints and scratches to the entire universe. (Might be a Pro to some people, this is mostly an aesthetic thing.)

You get what you pay for amirght?

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• Nintendo DSi
• Released: April 5, 2009

The DSi is completely different from the DS Lite and the Original DS in every aspect, while being slightly more compact than the DS Lite it includes two .03 Megapixel cameras built in and a redesigned user interface. The DSi also uses a much more powerful processor and has about 100% more internal memory which can be expanded through the addition of an SD card (up to 32 Gigabytes). Along with the changes the DSi had an E-Shop in which one could purchase applications and games. There are also games which when played on the DSi will either move faster or will have certain features unlocked. An Example of a DS game with bonus features is Pokemon Black/White which not only run faster on the DSi but has a feature for local video chatting utilizing the camera and microphone on the console.
Pros and Cons of the System
Pros:
Adjustable Backlight: Just like the DS Lite the DSi has an adjustable backlight, only instead of four levels there are now five levels to which you can adjust the backlight. Just think, you could illuminate an entire house with that many levels!
Improved UI: The improved User Interface not only is incredibly smooth and pleasant to look at but it also removes one of the frustrations of the older systems that makes it so that you have to shutdown the console before removing or inserting a game. Now you can merely reset the console by tapping the power button and while on the home screen you can freely remove and insert DS cartridges.
Matte Finish: Unlike the DS Lite the Matte finish on the DSi makes it harder for the handheld to be scratched and doesn’t attract fingerprints.
WPA WiFi Connectivity: The DSi is capable of both WEP and WPA WiFI connectivity making it more compatible with WiFi hotspots.
E-Shop: The DSi has an E-shop where games and applications can be purchased with DSi Points, there are also free applications like Flipnote Hatena which is very popular.
Built-in Camera: The DSi has two built in cameras which can be used to take pictures or video.
Expandable Memory: You can insert an SD card (up to 32GB) to expand the consoles memory for storing games, pictures, or video.
Web Browser: The DSi can download the Opera web browser and can surf rudimentary websites like forums or review websites, though it has a tough time handling video websites.
Cons:
No Backwards Compatibility: The DSi lacks a slot for Gameboy games so all that can be played on it are DS games and games purchased through the E-Shop.
Expensive: The DSi is one of the most expensive versions only second to the DSi XL.
Region Locked: The DSi is region locked.

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• Nintendo DSi XL
• March 28 2010

The Nintendo DSi XL did not particularly bring anything new to the table as a revision, the only striking detail about it is that the handheld is significantly larger then all of its predecessors in all respects. Upon release the handheld came with two free games and one free application, however the application is now free and the games were just two copies of Brain Age so it isn’t a huge loss. The DSi XL had the poorest sales out of all the DS models, this is due to the fact that around the time of it’s release the 3DS was announced as the next big handheld. I’m pretty sure we all know where this is going. You can pretty much reread the DSi section as the DSi has no new features besides being larger.
The Pros and Cons of the System
Pros:
Bigger Everything: For those with bad eyes or what have you, the DSi XL is massive with screens that dwarf all the previous iterations screens.
Special Editions: The DSi XL has a couple of special edition models which are neat.
Free Stuff: The DSi XL will generally come with two copies of Brain Age and a copy of Flipnote Hatena preinstalled.
Cons:
Expensive: The DSi XL is very expensive, for the price of a DSi XL you may as well go and buy a 3DS as they tend to be $100+
Bigger Everything: Because of the size of the console it is harder to transport as it won’t fit in more pockets like all the previous models, generally you will need some kind of case if you intend to transport it.
Region Locked: The DSi XL is region locked.

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The Verdict:
I’d recommend either the Original Model Nintendo DS or the Nintendo DSi, both are pretty easy to find and provide the most features with the cheapest price-tag. The reason I would recommend them over the Nintendo DS Lite or the Nintendo DSi XL is that the DS Lite is incredibly flimsy and has a high chance of breaking, the DSi XL is just a bigger variant of the regular DSi so you aren’t getting anything extra for the bonus $50-$60 you will wind up paying for it. Ultimately it comes down to what you want in a handheld, the DS Lite is slightly more portable then the regular DS and has the most color choices and special editions out of any model, the DSi XL is big.

 

I’ll just take the one that works.

Holiday Shopping tips: How to Identify bootleg DS games

RP for Radically … Poor?

With the Holiday shopping season hitting full swing and many clamoring to get those last minute deals before Christmas it is now more so then any other point that people are more susceptible to accidentally buying a bootleg game. The internet is the prime suspect for perpetuating these fakes most notably Ebay and iOffer which are both poorly policed for people or groups which sell bootleg copies of any product. Typically the games are offered at unbelievable prices or set up as auctions where they wind up selling for significantly more then the game normally sells for. A prime example of games going for that which they are not valued at is the Pokémon series of games; the Pokémon DS series of games will often be found floating around one of the auction websites for prices ranging from $5-$10 or start an auction at .99 cents.

I’m obviously Masochistic.

I being a glutton for punishment purchased several of these bootleg games to better gauge the quality of them at this juncture. As I mentioned in my previous review the quality of bootleg games are increasing and to the untrained eye very often a bootleg game will pass under the radar long after it had been purchased and it’s warranty or return period has expired. The game can experience no end of problems ultimately dependent on the quality of the fake purchased, these problems are not limited to:

1. Contact Issues: When inserting the game it will not be noticed or read by the Nintendo DS.
2. Save Corrupting: After a period of time averaged at around two months or so the save may corrupt and you will lose all your data.
3. Incompatibility: The DSi, DSi XL, and 3DS will not read the game and in most situations will give you an error message.
4. DOA: if the fake is of exceptionally poor quality the game will be dead on arrival.
5. Poor Build Quality: As with a DOA bootleg the quality of the game may be poor enough that instead of utilizing flash memory the game may instead use a battery which will inevitably run dry. Commonly the bootleg will be made of materials which are of subpar quality.

There are other a great deal of other possible problems but these are the most notable ones and the ones most commonly encountered in the purchase of a bootleg game.

Now that I have turned you away from the prospect of knowingly purchasing a bootleg game I shall now explain how to identify aforementioned game. We shall begin by discussing the Label as that is commonly the first thing you will see (in assuming the game you purchase does not come with a case). The first and most telling feature of a fake game in general is the wrong art on the game, very often bootleggers will take the art from the cover and just shrink it down to label size and slap it on there.

It’s like they don’t even try sometimes.

It is imperative that before the purchase of a game off a non-reputable site that you familiarize yourself with the label arts for the games and the cover art for the case so you can spot early on whether the game is a fake or not. A google search will usually yield the desired results and if upon doing the search you feel wary of the game then I recommend contacting the seller and asking to return the game.

Now upon further examination of the label you should see the following in these EXACT places:

1. In the lower Left Corner the games rating (i.e. E, E10+, T, M, etc)
2. In the lower Right Official Nintendo Seal
3. On the very top you should see Nintendo DS ™
4. In between the rating and the seal you should see any other marking indicative to whatever company published or made it (i.e. The Pokemon Company, SEGA, etc.).
5. At the bottom should be a code that begins with NTR and ends with USA, and example would be Pokemon SoulSilver’s code which would be NTR-IPGE-USA

Ballin'

Before advancing to the back of the cartridge lets look at the label as a whole. Is the label off kilter? Is the label a little to round? Is the label just not there? These three things are signs of a fake as real Nintendo DS games have their labels factory cut and pressed.

Now onto the back of the cartridge, on the back you should see embossed into the back of the game the Nintendo Logo, the code NTR-005 PAT. PEND., and below that you should see a code in ink that may fade over time so you will have to shine light on it at an angle to see it. The code will be nine alpha-numeric digits that make up  the games serial code and will ALWAYS be on the cartridge. Typically fake cartridges will be lacking in all three of those marking on the back of the game, however some high quality bootlegs will have often have the Nintendo logo and NTR code embossed on the back, though very often they will be larger then they should be. In my experience I have never encountered a bootleg with the ink serial code below the NTR code, so that can be a telling feature of a bootleg game.

Now if by this point you have not found anything out of the ordinary you will have to look at the games contacts to see if there is a serial code of varying digits or if it only has the words “Nintendo” on it. This is a slightly more unreliable way of telling, because there are Nintendo DS games that do have either of those two on them. Typically if the game does not have the serial code you can consider it a fake. Just use this means of checking with a grain of salt as unlike GBA games you cannot just pop open the game and check the board for the logo and code and know its legit. Fake DS games will always label the board with the Nintendo logo, which is why you, depending on the game, have a 50/50 chance of being right in using this method in determining the legitimacy of the game.

The best way to avoid getting a bootleg game is to exercise both caution and prevention. On Ebay and other websites you will notice that some items are being sold in countries they are not native to and this is generally a warning flag for a bootlegger, the usual culprit will be Hong Kong, China as it would appear they mass produce bootlegs and set up many identical accounts to sell off their goods. These bootleg games will usually be sold without their original cases and instead will be sold in tiny plastic cases. Another warning flag you will notice is the awkward descriptions that will be given to describe the product they are selling;

Example:

“The game is used, 100% new,
no box and manual,only cartridge,Games are in English.
This game has been tested carefully and found to be working perfectly! Please assured to buy. If you encounter any problem,please feel free to contact us. we are here to assist you at any time!Thanks

English Version
Play on any Nintendo NDS or NDS Lite  or ndsi or 3ds”

Oh and all cases should have Nintendo DS embossed in it.

It is not to say that they aren’t cooperative when you attempt to return the game, but you should avoid purchasing english games from countries that are not english speaking. I advise exercising the same amount of caution as recommended in my previous shopping tips, i.e. don’t buy games from places that you are not native to or have dubious/awkward descriptions.

Well Have a Happy Holidays!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town (DS)

Santa Claus is Coming’ to town is a video game adaption of the Rankin Bass Holiday special, if you have not heard of the film nor Rankin Bass (which is doubtful I hope) you should stop reading this and go watch the special. The special can probably be viewed on Netflix or if you go to any superstore you can probably pick up the DVD. Now you go and watch that, I won’t go anywhere, promise, okay I’ll see you when you are done.

Alright, you all set? Good. Santa Claus is Coming to Town for the DS is essentially nothing more then a plethora of mini-games, these mini-games can be played as stand alone little games or you are presented the option of playing an “Adventure” mode which essentially is broken down into short talking sequences with mini-games laced between them. Now I know what you are thinking at this point, “Well Mike there is no possible way this game could be any good or accurate right?” Well dear readers I can assure you that this game is far from bad, at worst the game is mediocre which is still a far cry from Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.

Seriously, fuck this game I rather dislike this game.

I think it’s prudent that before I move on I make it known to everyone that over the course of this game you will hear “Santa Claus is coming to Town” playing constantly in the background. Seriously. I’ll admit it plays at a low enough volume that it doesn’t feel to obtrusive, though it gives the game a similar feel to walking through a super market during the holidays at first, eventually though it just becomes white noise. An alternative to listening to the music in the background is shutting it off through the options menu, but in my opinion it isn’t worth it as you won’t notice it after a while of playing.

The game’s story is identical to that of the holiday special sans Fred Astaire (due to a legal matter of course). You start the game off as Special Delivery Man Kluger who opens up by telling you the story of Santa’s origins from there you get to more or less experience the film entirely through text and mini-games. You also get to play the game from two alternative perspective’s which I guess adds more depth to the story(?).

Please Meister of all Burgers, rear this child to be so good with burgers that one day he may become a Burger Meister.

Mini-game wise the good ones are all platformers while the others are really shallow coloring games or “singing” games. Platforming wise there are three games in total and all of which are very straight forward and don’t require much to beat as all you do in each game is jump and it’s impossible to die or time out. All of the other games are incredibly shallow but for the age demographic (5-8 year olds?) the game is tailored to the mini-games are probably appealing as they consist of coloring games, a game where you get to dress-up and take care of topper (Santa’s pet penguin), seek and find games, mazes, and a memory match game among others. Ultimately the games are nothing to shake a stick at but for what they are the mini-games are solid in their own rights and aren’t blighted by poor controls or glitches.

It reminds me so much of Pitfall.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town isn’t (in my opinion) a game in the traditional sense, if anything it’s an accompaniment to the special where it contains some games based on the film and a mode which contains little descriptions of the characters  (which solidifies my point). The game is entirely Christmas themed and as such it is by no merit a game which will pull you to play it during any other time then the winter months, though I think this is the games biggest selling point and the main defining reason to actually play it. Santa Claus is Coming to Town is the kind of game where when you are feeling in a particularly festive mood it provides one with an outlet for that festivity in the form of its simple mini-games and Christmas soundtrack, it also helps that it is designed after the Rankin Bass film which has become a regular holiday special.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town is by no means a game worth investing in unless you have either children or you personally feel the need for a video game themed outlet for any overburdening Christmas spirit you may have; my biggest gripe about the game is that Fred Astaire’s puppet isn’t present and they instead replaced him with a puppet which looks nothing like him, this is a personal issue and by no means should it impact your feelings on the game unless you are a purist when it comes to adaptions of movies. Santa Claus is Coming to Town is a decent little Christmas game which you can pick up and play during the holidays, if you aren’t interested in mini-games you can pick up the Wii version which is a platformer where you collect snowflakes and deliver presents (it also features voice-acting :o ).

Also there’s Flute Hero.

Fun Fact: Fred Astaire isn’t in either game because upon his death he placed it in his will that he didn’t want any person or entity to use his personage as he was sure they would misinterpret his character or some other nonsense.

Have a Happy Holidays/Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/etc.

 

Ghost Trick

Is a logic/puzzle game created by Shu Takumi the brilliant mind behind the Ace Attorney series of games and it shows as the music and in between scenes are reminiscent of what you would expect from a Ace Attorney game. This game features an interesting concept and system which involves traveling back in time to four minutes before someone’s death and saving said person’s life, this is done through the manipulation of objects strewn throughout the area. This game features a colorful cast of characters whom you most likely fall in love with almost instantly.

This guy especially.

The story of the game is thus, you play as Sissel whom dies tragically one dark stormy night. The next thing he knows he wakes up to find himself as not only a ghost but a ghost who has lost his memories. He is then greeted by the mysterious Ray who explains to him that he is dead and has special powers called “Ghost Tricks” which give him the ability to manipulate objects. Upon witnessing the death of a young detective in the same vicinity of his own death Sissel learns that he has the power to go back to four minute's before someone's death, from there he manipulates objects to stop her assailant and save her life. Sissel then concludes that she must have some connection to his lost memories so upon saving her he teams up with her to hunt down his memories and to learn the truth behind these mysterious ghost tricks he has gained.

Living every mans dream.

In the game you mainly play as Sissel as you switch between the real world and the ghost world. The differences between these two worlds are drastic and are as follows'; In the Real World time passes gradually and you are able to manipulate whatever object you are currently residing in, however you cannot travel to other objects. In the Ghost World you can freely travel to any object within Sissel’s reach, and time freezes in place. This is the main mechanic of the game switching between worlds and manipulating objects, this allows for creative solutions to puzzles. Sissels main ability in the game is that he can manipulate objects, but there is one other character with a different ability that you meet later in the game, he has the ability to swap objects which adds additional depth to puzzles as you have the ability to swap items that look similar. 

Indubitably.

Now aside from just switching between the real world and the ghost world you also have the ability to go four minutes before the death of any person and attempt to prevent said death. This is where most puzzles occur, preventing said death. You go about this by manipulating objects in order to either buy time or to utterly prevent the death entirely. Saving lives will be very commonplace. Sissel also has the ability to manipulate phones and utilizes them to go from location to location.

Everyone’s a critic.

No Jeego, like this. . .

All the characters in the game are memorable, down to Bailey and his Panic Dance which has been passed down through his family for generations. You will fall in love with the characters, some more than others possibly, but you will fall in love with them none the less. Each has their own story that intertwines with the overall plot and helps to build up the climax as Sissel attempts to find his lost memories. Also there is the most adorable Pomeranian ever.

D’aaaaaaaaaw.

The music to the game is nothing to write home about but its nice enough to listen to when you are actually playing the game. However the art and 3D movements more than make up for it. As you may have noticed from the dog above the rest of the characters are designed in a similar fashion, also the characters are very expressive, I mean very. Most of the characters have about six or more expressions. The game has been praised for its fluid movements with its 3D models as you may have noticed from the earlier dancing man. Also the game contains beautiful backgrounds and areas that seem to be a combination of hand drawn backdrops and 3D models.

 

This is my favorite expression.

Now the overall story to the game revolves around Sissel trying to regain his lost memories after awakening as a ghost. Over the course of the game his hunt for his memories intertwines his fate with those of many people who were involved in an incident a long time ago. Sissel teams up with a girl named Lynne who is just as fiery as her red hair and though reluctant at first she decided to team up with Sissel. They both work together to undercover a conspiracy and the surfacing of another person with the ability to manipulate. The game reaches its climax with Sissel regaining his memories and saving the life of his oldest and dearest friend.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a great game, in my opinion its worth paying full retail for it. It has an incredibly satisfying story a host a fun puzzles and a great host of characters. Though unfortunately this game isn’t for everyone, this game is at its core a puzzle game, so for those who don’t enjoy puzzles this isn’t the game for you. This game has a great and satisfying story and I would highly recommend it for that alone. You can tell this game is by the creator of the Phoenix Wright series as the quirky humor from that series has carried over to this game. All in all, if you’re a fan of Puzzles and Story then this is the game for you as it succeeds at this.

Elite Beat Agents Review

Elite Beat Agents is a Rhythm based game for the Nintendo DS. Its by iNiS and is essentially a successor to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! Which is a popular video game series in Japan about a Cheer Squad who sing and dance to raise the spirits of various people so that the can perform tasks. Where Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! was about kids in High School cheering up mostly other High School students, Elite Beat Agents is about Government Agents who use song and dance to assist many people in their daily tasks. In Elite Beat Agents you tap, draw, and spin to covers of popular songs such as “YMCA”, “Highway Star”, and “ABC”.

The artists have a thing for crazy hair.

Being that it’s a rhythm based game EBA’s game play mostly revolves around tapping to the beat of the song with occasional sliding and spinning. The ultimate difficulty of the game is derived from what mode you are playing, there are four modes of difficulty; Breezin’, Crusin’, Sweatin’, and Hard Rock. Each mode has a different set of Agents you will play as. This provides more of an aesthetic change as the story remains unchanged regardless of the mode you play; however the individual stages change slightly depending on how well you do and most have three different endings. Tapping to the beat may seem easy at first but depending on the difficulty what you may be tapping to will be quite different. Certain songs in the game will have you tapping along to the vocals, whereas other will have you tapping to the guitar in the background, these vary and allow for a decent amount of challenge.

Video Game = Football

Each stage has the Agents Dancing to aid someone in completing whatever task it is they are finding difficulty doing; this may include but is not limited to, babysitting, making a movie, helping a girl achieve her dream, and raising the dead. The stages are broken up into parts alternating between gameplay and story. The format for each stage is generally this:

• Person needs help and Elite Beat Agents come to help
• Song starts and you begin playing
• The song fades and story occurs showing the Persons progress in what they are doing
• Gameplay
• Story
• Gameplay
• Finale which shows how well you did.

This formula alternates for only a few stages, though during the gameplay sections if you happen to glance upwards you will notice that during gameplay the top screen will have animations playing telling you how well you are doing as you play.

What happens up top is completely dictated by how well you are doing, if you are missing notes the top will show the person you are aiding failing at what he is trying to do, while getting high marks will have them doing things passionately.
The game doesn’t have much in the way of a story, you merely play as the agents as they aid people in their day to day lives. The stages don’t really lead to an intertwining story that hold the game together, however it does have an ending where you use Music to fight Alien Invaders. Though lack of an overall story doesn’t detract from the appeal of the game as each individual stage has its own quirky story which more than makes up for it. The game also makes clever allusions to pop culture with some of its stages which is a treat in itself.
Elite Beat Agents also features a Multiplayer mode which allows up to four people to go head to head in rhythm battles where each person tries to get the highest score and cheer their respective team to victory. This mode is where the games true replay value lies as tapping to your favorite song as you attempt to outdo your friends allows for a great deal of fun. What makes the mode better is that you get the option to play as any Agent you unlocked in your particular game, so essentially you can be your favorite Agent. . .

Oh Cieftan. . .

What makes this mode even better is that it also supports Single Cartridge play which means even those without the game can play with you though admittedly with only the starting Agents and a handful of songs.

Their hairstyles are cool enough to count for one thousand agents.

Elite beat Agents also allows you to broadcast the first level of the game to other players which allows them to play it without the game which is a nice added bonus.
As mentioned earlier this game is the successor to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! and as such those of you who have imported the Japanese game may have noticed glaring similarities between the games, such as the formulas of stages and event he themes of stages as they look and play quite the same.

As you can see they are very subtle similarities.

Elite Beat Agents is the game for any fan of music and rhythm games, however for those who aren’t into either of those things this is not the game for you. Elite Beat Agents carries with it a ton of replay value and the capacity to be enjoyed across a circle of friends with its multiplayer feature. In my opinion this is by far one of the best games for the Nintendo DS and is a must for any fans of its genre. If however you don’t care for American music but instead prefer to listen to the funky beats over in the land of the Rising Sun then check out Osu! Tatakae! Ouedan! and its two sequels which you can import from playasia or ebay.
Oh hey look! Lukie Games has Elite Beat Agents for under $4.00, what a steal! So what I’m getting at is that you should buy and play this game because its awesome.