Review: Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

When compared to the early concept footage from 2007, Kirby’s first outing on the Wii seems to have gone the Resident Evil 4 route when it comes to the finished product. Even without multiple allies and his trademarked powers, is this still a finely woven tale, or does it leave you frayed at the ends?

As far as story goes, it’s a standard tale of an evil wizard and a plot to control Kirby’s home of Dreamland. It’s your basic “good vs. evil” story, and the narrator sounds much like a father telling a bedtime story to his kids, but just because the story is straightforward doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. If you turn the lights down and let your mind go to a simpler place, you’ll soon pick up on its subtle charms. This probably isn’t a big shocker for long time fans, but what will be is the new gameplay.

The little pink protagonist’s abilities have been completely revamped in this title. Instead of swallowing enemies whole and using them as ammo or catalysts for transformations, Kirby simply winds his foes into balls of string that he can carry around and toss at will. Transformations still play a part, but not in the traditional sense. At certain points, Kirby will be able to morph into many different mega forms such as a UFO, a dune buggy, and even a dolphin. The new forms are area-specific, though, so be aware that you won’t be able to fight a boss with the tank’s missiles. This is most likely a design choice to minimize the exploitable nature of previous games and make you have to face Epic Yarn’s challenges on their own terms, but this is hampered by the fact that the game is so easy to begin with.

One curious omission is Kirby’s complete inability to die. Instead, if you get hit, your ring…er, BEADS go flying all over the place, and unlike a certain blue hedgehog, Kirby can easily reclaim every single bead lost if he’s fast enough. Even during boss fights, it’s totally impossible to fail no matter how much damage you take. To remedy this, the game awards you with medals for accumulating a good number of beads, and awards bonus currency for longer streaks without getting hit. Despite this, the fact that there’s virtually no penalty for getting hit combined with the Reading Rainbow narrator make it all too obvious why Nintendo has a reputation for being a kiddy company. Granted, that’s what some people like, and it’s a nice change of pace from the usual blood-drenched title, but if you can’t go 12 minutes without curb-stomping somebody, then the experience will quickly turn from Epic Yarn to Epic Yawn.

What really shines through in this game is the titular yarn. The graphics go far beyond a simple art style, and factor into the gameplay on levels you wouldn’t expect. It’s the little touches that make the graphics great, and it’s truly awe-inspiring to see all the tiny details that went into every single stage. The music is par for the course for any 1st party Nintendo title, with new songs accompanying an assortment of older tracks, but you may find some of these new tunes to be a little too tranquil and calm to keep you engaged in the action. We’re looking at YOU, Frosty Wheel.

Although it’s not cut from the same cloth, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is still woven from only the finest materials. The game is still fun on a basic level, and with the co-op, it’s a great way to get a friend in on the action. Just be aware that the greatest challenge you’re going to face is helping us come up with more yarn puns.

Submitted By: WhatTheFNU (Customer)

Review: Professor Layton & The Unwound Future (DS)

“A true gentleman should never keep someone waiting.” With finally releasing the third game of the Professor Layton series, it's good to see that Level 5 & Nintendo are starting to heed the Professor's words. Having quickened the pace of their release schedule, 'Professor Layton & The Unwound Future' is finally available on this side of the pond.

This time around, the Professor and his trusty young apprentice Luke are embroiled in a time traveling mystery, seemingly sending them to a London 10 years in the future, which desperately needs their help. The game also dives into the Professors back-story by introducing a plot point about the lost love of Hershell Layton's life. This storyline is incredibly touching and I'm not ashamed to admit that I got a little teary eyed over the ending. The voice-acting is also some of the best I have seen in any video game and the animated cut-scenes are excellently done.

The puzzles, just like with the previous two Layton games, are top-notch with more than a few of them being quite the challenge. Luckily, the hint system is back again, but this time it now includes a fourth “Super Hint”, which almost ensures your ability to solve the puzzle . This does not, however, flat-out give you the answer, because where's the fun in that right?

The game also introduces us to three new mini-games. First, we have a fun sticker storybook in which you collect stickers and place them in their correct spot to tell the story. Next is a puzzling delivery game where you must find the best route to deliver the merchandise and still beat the clock. Finally, we have an entertaining obstacle course game in which you must collect all the items and reach the goal in a limited number of moves.

With fun and thought provoking puzzles, supplemented by top-notch production quality and an excellent and heart warming story, 'Professor Layton & The Unwound Future' delivers on all fronts. It is definitely a must buy for anyone that owns a DS!

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever (Employee)

Review: Fallout 3 (360/PS3)

[PIP BOY MESSAGE ALERT: In honor of the upcoming “Fallout: New Vegas” we figured why not re-review Fallout 3. Make sure you check back soon for our forth coming review of 'New Vegas.'] 

First off, I must say 'good job' Bethesda, you have done it again! If you’re a big fan of Elder Scrolls games such as Morrowind or Oblivion you will love this game. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic Washington DC, but still set in a strange yet humorous pseudo 1950s world. You start the game off as a child being born, literally. Getting to choose your gender, ethnicity,  and name. Then starting the game off as a toddler you grow into an adult making choices that will determine what your strengths and weakness are at the beginning of your vault-dweller life. Due to circumstances out of your control, you eventually leave the vault which you have known your whole life for a world that your character has only heard about.

Once you leave the vault you are greeted by a bright sun that blinds you for a brief moment, and then your real adventure starts! The game can lead you down several paths, some good some bad, but ultimately you make the choice, as the main storyline can be beaten numerous ways. There are around 70 side missions in the game and the 5 expansions add an additional 30+ new missions. This game definitely delivers some bang for your buck!

The control style is pretty standard to a Bethesda type game, with a first person to third person type change taking place on the fly. As you level up you receive different types of perks that change your players attributes, from hacking a computer terminal, to how accurately you can shoot a gun, or how skillful you are at bartering for supplies. The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.) allows you to stop time and target specific body parts, in the traditional turn-based style of the original Fallout. It's a fun system and works well with the severed limbs and decapitations served up in slow-mo guts and glory.

No matter what console you own, you should definitely play Fallout 3, which overcomes its issues by offering a deep and involving journey through a world that you will not soon forget. It has more in common with Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series than with previous Fallout games, but that is by no means a bad thing. Whether you're new to the universe or a Fallout devotee, untold hours of addictive game play are waiting.

Submitted By: Michael Aquirre (Employee)

Review: Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions (360/PS3)

Once upon a time, it was okay for a comic book game to be below average because sadly, it was the norm for the genre. Then came a little game called “Arkham Asylum.” Now we live in a new day and age where one can rightfully expect just a little more out of a superhero video game. Does Shattered Dimensions live up to this new standard, or do old habits die hard?

If you’ve read any number of comic books, you’ll know what to expect from the story. A mysterious tablet is shattered in a robbery attempt, and now it’s up to the original Spidey and three of his alternate selves (Ultimate, Noir, & 2099) to find the pieces before the entire universe falls apart with it. [EDITORS NOTE: Watch out for two cameos by “Peter Porker The Spectacular Spider-Ham”] It’s standard superhero fare, and it fits well considering the subject matter. However, it definitely wouldn’t have hurt if the writers had gone a step beyond. Extra effort has gone into fleshing out the many bosses, though, who add some much needed character to the stages. Don’t misunderstand: the many settings you’ll play in are certainly not lacking in variety, but the same can’t be said for the sparse mission types, which, despite minor differences, may start to feel stale after a while. It’s the numerous boss fights that are the true hallmarks, and while some could have used more polish, the ones that get it right REALLY get it right, delivering some truly unique and memorable experiences.

All four Spider-Man's have their own distinct personalities, as well as the original’s penchant for jokes. The voice actors are good enough to get away with Parker’s wisecracks, but what really sets the different heroes apart is how they all play. This is most evident in the “Noir” stages where sneaking is king, and gunfire is lethal. There’s something that just makes sense about adding a stealth element to a spider-centric character, and considering that the webs allow you to do take-downs from twenty feet away, it’s also extremely satisfying. The other three, however, aren’t so lucky, as they all suffer from some universal issues. Spider-Man has a tendency to gravitate towards perch points and narrow ledges, as well as moving incredibly fast when swinging. This means that it’s very hard to move precisely, and you may find yourself fighting the controls when Spider-Man randomly stops shooting webs to swing from, gets stuck under a platform mid-flight, or decides to perch on the nearby railing instead of landing on the ground when you’re fending off swarms of enemies. More bad news comes in the form of the “throwing” mechanic: because the game automatically chucks whatever you pick up at the nearest threat, it makes hitting a specific target almost impossible. This is made frustrating by the fact that many of the bonus challenges that you have to complete in order to unlock upgrades demand precision tosses, making the lack of a real lock-on system baffling.

Fighting Spidey’s enemies and the loose mechanics has its rewards. Concept art, character bios, and even alternate costumes from all over the character’s history make the fight worth it, but that’s all dependent on if that all holds any value to you. In that sense, it’s hard to recommend Shattered Dimensions to anyone who isn’t even remotely into Spider-Man, but if a twenty-hour romp through the many versions of New York with one of Marvel’s best heroes sounds like it’s right up your alley, then feel free to “swing” by.

Submitted By: WhatTheFNU (Customer)

Review: Ace Combat Joint Assault (PSP)

Ace Combat takes flight with its second sortie on the PSP, Joint Assault. It comes with some very welcome changes for the series, as it was starting to become a bit formulaic, even for a diehard Ace Combat fan like myself.

In Joint Assault you play the role of a rookie pilot with a PMC (Private Military Corporation) as you try to stop a group of terrorists bent on the destruction of the 'capitalist' world. The story does get a little convoluted once you uncover who is backing the terrorists and what their real plan is, but despite this, it's still enjoyable. This is probably the only time in a game that a PMC is portrayed as being the good guy, a nice change from the standard 'PMC=bad guy' formula. Speaking of changes, this is the first time an Ace Combat game has been set in the real world, rather than the fictional one of the past seven games, and the developers take full advantage of this.

Graphically Joint Assault looks like its PS2 brethren of Ace Combat 4, 5 & Zero, but for the first time in the series' history all of the game's levels are created using satellite imagery. This helps to make settings such as Tokyo, London and San Francisco very believable. The graphical models of all the aircraft are very well done and each aircraft handles as they should, helping cement the games reality. The 747 piloting mission, another first, definitely is a stand out representation of this individual plane handling. The game controls incredibly well, and I had no problem transitioning from using the flight stick I normally use for Ace Combat games to the PSPs control layout.

Joint Assault offers a robust multiplayer, with the online dogfights from Ace Combat 6 returning, but beware: you need some serious skills to hang with these aces. It also offers a series of co-op single player missions using the PSPs Ad-Hoc mode, giving the game its call-sign of 'Joint Assault'.

All around Ace Combat: Joint Assault is a must buy for any fan of the Ace Combat series, while still also being incredibly accessible to the casual player looking for something to pick up for their PSP.

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever (Employee)

Review: BlazBlue Continuum Shift (PS3/360)

The first Blazblue came out in 2009, spurred by the resurgence in popularity of fighting games. Its successor, Blazblue: Continuum Shift, builds upon the original and improves significantly on every aspect of the first game.

First off, the gameplay (like with any Arc Systems game) is extremely unique: every character plays completely different from one another. So, unlike games like Street Fighter where you learn basic moves that generally work for all the characters, Blazblue has character specific strategies that vary widely. This can make it a little difficult to switch to a different character with out some amount of practice to see how they play, but part of the fun in fighting games is learning how to play effectively and competitively. Despite the learning curve, however, new players are also encouraged to take up the game in its "beginner mode", which allows complex combos to be pulled off with the push of a single button. This way, people who don't normally play fighting games can jump in and enjoy the game together with more seasoned players.

Beyond the gameplay itself, which was already amazing, the game modes have been tweaked and expanded upon from the last game. They added a new challenge mode that allows players to go in and learn combos, ranging from basic to super advanced. There is also the addition of legion mode, a mode taken from the PSP version of Blazblue, in which players travel across a map attempting to defeat computer controlled players.

Fortunately, Arc Systems has wisely decided to balance the various character's moves and power levels a bit in this game, which is very welcome. They have added additional moves, as well as adjusted moves that already existed in order to create a better and more balanced experience. With the added bonus of down-loadable characters, there is no reason not to challenge your friends with Blazblue: Continuum Shift, right up until the next fighting game masterpiece from Arc Systems comes out.

Submitted By: Layanie Ahlers (Employee)