Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven - 3DS Review

Who wants to do some fantasy bowling? No, I am not talking about that zany/morbid elf bowling Flash game that shows up every year around Christmas, but in fact am referring to the rather unusual but still entertaining combat system found in the recently released Lords of Magna: Maiden Heaven. The game feels rushed at times, but the end result is still a good deal of fun.

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Etrian Mystery Dungeon - 3DS Review

Atlus has been a roll of late when it comes to experimenting outside of “what usually works”. Persona Q was a perfect example of how a serious Dungeon Crawler like Etrian Odyssey could be when merged with the much more story designed machinations of the Shin Megami Tensei Persona sub-series. Cracking at the edges once again with an almost make it or break it mentality, Etrian Mystery Dungeon makes it by challenging you in the fashion that Roguelikes are so good at.

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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D - 3DS Review

There are some things that should stay where we left them back in the past. Nostalgia is a powerful thing but then again there are those that I am more than happy to re-receive almost a decade and a half later. I loved Majora’s Mask much more than I could ever love the Ocarina of Time. Yes I said it. MORE. I don’t know what it was all those years ago that made me fall in love with this title, but it’s back once again and like an old friend I am more than happy to receive and enjoy its company once again.

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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - 3DS Review

I’ve seen friends of mine play obscene hours of Monster Hunter in the past. My brother in particular who would transfer his Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate from his 3DS to his Wii U depending on if he was staying home or heading out. While I had watched on numerous occasions, it wasn’t until picking up Toukiden last year on the Vita that I fell in love with this particular style which leads to now and a new found love for Monster Hunter 4.

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS Review

This game is a long time in coming. Having originally picked up A Link Between Worlds upon release and wanting to do nothing more than play the sequel to my favorite Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, life got in the way. Fast forward three months and I decided to pick it back up and restart from the beginning while heading out on a trip. The result was a bit of a sun burn and a hugely satisfying journey.

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Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - 3DS Review

Most of the time when multiple game genres are mixed into a melding pot or alchemic cauldron to synthesize something new I'm rather wary. When Atlus announced that it would be performing a fusion of the cast of Personas 3 and 4 into an Etrian Odyssey dungeon crawling game style I was curious to say the least. My biggest worry was that I was afraid that the stellar casts would be lost to the more mechanics based game type. Having yet to play Millennium Girl (as it continues to stare me down from across the room on the shelf dedicated to my DS library) I wasn't quite sure what to expect when adding a Persona like story to the Dungeon Crawl. Knowing Atlus I should have known better, as there was nothing to worry about.

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Tetris Ultimate - 3DS Review

Tetris is one of those games that I equate to comfort food. The timing is perfect because as the weather gets colder and the seasonal travel increases, the ability to access this digital comfort food is very welcome indeed. Tetris has been around long enough now that fans are in for very few surprises, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

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Power Rangers Super Megaforce - 3DS Review

Games based on existing IPs are always a gamble. Sometimes they have such great backstory or characters that development teams are then able to run with successfully (Batman, some of the Transformers games immediately come to mind). Others are absolutely horrid, broken, buggy titles that feel incredibly rushed (just about every non-Spider-man and Batman superhero game). Most tend to fall into a middle range where they feel slightly undercooked. Playable, fun if you check your brain at the door, but hardly qualify as good use of their license. Power Rangers Super Megaforce falls squarely into this category as it fails to do anything terribly new with the source material or innovate gaming in any particular way - but it is not a bad game either and can actually serve to help kill several hours of time on your 3DS.

Probably the biggest disappointment to be had here is that there was actually quite a bit of potential to be had. A handful of systems were put into place to help make Power Rangers Super Megaforce slightly more than just a simple brawling game. If just a bit more time and care had gone into these systems, the end result could have been an addictive title worth coming back to repeatedly. As it stands, it is basically fun filler in small bursts. Kids will probably get more out of the experience than teens or adults who would like a bit more to sink their teeth into. Brawlers are a somewhat simple genre by nature, and the team at 7th Chord seems to understand the need for a bit more substance, it just is not quite there yet. Still, this is latest iteration in the series and a more enjoyable experience than the earlier games, so it feels like the franchise is actually moving in the right direction.

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Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle - 3DS Review

I really wanted to like Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle, since I tend to gravitate towards almost any kind of anime regardless of the age group it is designed for. The anime is geared towards younger viewers (probably closer to my sister's age and she is twelve), but there was at least the potential to make a game that was fun, if targeted at a younger audience. There are multiple problems holding Tenkai Knights back, from lackluster visuals, inconsistent audio, repetitive gameplay and clunky controls. I realize the game is geared towards younger gamers, but I cannot recommend this to a player of any age.

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COCORO Line Defender - Nintendo 3DS Review

Moving Player released a new title for the 3DS on June 26th, and called it COCORO Line Defender. If you are not familiar with what a line defense game is, think ‘Swords & Soldiers’ style gameplay, with less focus on individual units. You only have one ‘ability’ that you can use, and it is on a long timed delay between uses. Outside of that, you select the unit, equip it with a weapon and fling it into the battlefield again and again.

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Farming Simulator 14 - Nintendo 3DS Review

Certainly with a title like Farming Simulator, right off of the bat a person's interest may diminish right away. Flight Simulator. Combat Simulator. Football Simulator. Generally speaking people play simulator games in an attempt to experience something they might not be capable of in real life. So while flying an air plane, laying siege to a castle or playing running back might seem more exciting than tending crops or gathering milk from cows, the goal is still basically the same: provide an experience for someone they might not normally have access to in their daily lives. Farming Simulator 14 tries gamely, but misses the mark in a few key places that keep it from being as much fun as it might have been.

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Color Zen Kids - 3DS Review

Color Zen Kids has a fairly basic set of goals in mind with its handheld release. Create a series of puzzles out of cheerful visuals geared toward that group of lower aged humans generally referred to as kids. This is the same formula we have seen on several other platforms, but it still feels more at home on a mobile device than the Wii U's full bodied console alternative.

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Color Zen - 3DS Review

The game Color Zen provides what it says in the title - a nice, calm feeling, and all around it is a very happy game to play. Color Zen is good for a brief sit down and play session, and can provide a lot of fun for a long time as well. It is basically a perfect fit for the portable, short burst Nintendo 3DS when you want something on the go or to simply pass a few minutes with.

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AiRace Xeno - Nintendo 3DS Review

AirRace Xeno is a simple enough title that does a good job of simulating speedy futuristic racing, getting most things right and very few wrong along the way. It is not the most spectacular game of its type, and if you have a prior AiRace title in your library it may not feel all that different, but it is hard not to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

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Astro - 3DS Review

I recently reviewed the Tales to Enjoy! games Little Red Riding Hood and Puss In Boots for the DSi/3DS here. They were games that felt more like interactive stories or activity books than anything else, and they were definitely geared towards young children.

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Jewel Adventures - 3DS Review

Puzzle games are among those my son has almost no patience for. Puzzle Fighter, Gyromancer, Puzzle Quest, Puzzle & Dragons and more - I actually enjoy them quite a good deal. I think they are fun, they give me something to do in shorter bursts of time, and as several of those titles above have proven - they can be mixed with other types of games to a great deal of success.

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Star Fox 64 3D - 3DS Review

This was a title I was hesitant to buy new right after getting my Nintendo 3DS for Christmas a couple of years ago, because while I had enjoyed the original title quite a bit several years ago when it first came out, I also recalled that the game was incredibly short. If this had been a remastering of Star Fox, providing a lot of new content, that would have made me less weary, but essentially the single player mode was untouched. There were a few new modes however, so when I had a chance to pick this up on the cheap, I went for it.

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Fishdom H2O:Hidden Odyssey - Nintendo 3DS Review

I have not seen many 'find the hidden object' games of late, though touch interface certainly seems like a natural destination for titles such as Fishdom H2O: Hidden Odyssey. You take on the role of Jennifer, a marine biologist who is attempting to win an award for the best aquarium. She dives into the sea to find all sorts of hidden items amidst a somewhat cluttered environment.

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Bubble Pop World - 3DS Review

Bubble Pop World tries to make use of the 3DS technology in a way no one else really has yet. That is a good thing, as it allows this title to stand out a bit more than it otherwise might have. It gives the game a sense of novelty and even serves as something of a technical demonstration of what the 3DS can do when using AR.

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Chain Blaster - 3DS Review

The majority of games I play now tend to have involved stories, lots of deep, branching mechanics and a sense of progression. Every now and then though, it can be a whole lot of fun to play something simple that kills a few minutes here and there. Chain Blaster fits the bill for the latter description just about perfectly.

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