***** - One of the best games I've played, or one I seriously recommend for other people. A lot of my reviews tend to have this, so I guess that means I play a lot of awesome games.
**** - Extremely good, and highly recommended. There's very little wrong with this game, and I know you'll have fun playing it.
*** - Average. Not a particularly well-known game, and has some flaws that mar it, but overall, is still enjoyable.
** - Poor. Has a lot of flaws (like a poor plot or poor character developement, or very bad playability), and hasn't had the best reception. You may find enjoyment, but I recommend against these games.
* - Not even worth what you pay. Poor dialouge, terrible plot, horrible music, and bad graphics plague games like this. Very few will enjoy it, I usually put these games up as warnings for others.
Rating: ****
Spore: If you like making and training your own monsters, then you'll probably like this game, too. Originally made for the PC, it's also a nice title for the DS system. You create your lovable monster, using whatever parts you wish (provided you find those parts and have enough parts points to use them), and you explore many different planets in order to rescue your friend, who you see being kidnapped in the opening sequence of the game. There are a lot of aspects that make this game a challenge (such as remembering what type of food your monster can eat, and figuring out how to help the other monsters), but overall, it's worth the money you spend. The only thing that slightly marrs my score is that you MUST use the stylus to battle, and I'm not really fond of doing that. But it's definitely a good game, and if you have the patience to figure out how to solve some of the harder puzzles on the later levels, I guarantee you'll have hours and hours of play on this. And an added bonus is the wi-fi feature. You can even go head-to-head against a friend and see whose monster is best!
Rating: ****
From the Abyss: Best.... DS... game... EVER. As soon as I saw the trailer for this, I was in love with the game. Basically, the kingdom of Ruehbent is under attack when dimensional rifts send demons to ransack the land. The queen's mages have constructed a large gate, the Abyss Gate, to allow only the bravest to battle the monster hoard off. But the queen hired you anyway, a young adventurer with no experience to your name. As you explore the many levels and worlds through the Abyss Gate, you'll fight hundreds of monsters while trying to exorcise the demons at the end of any particular world. The battle system is similar to the Mana series by SquareEnix, and the graphics are similar to those on the SNES. The music score is actually impressive for a DS game, and the ability to completely customize your character is a fun attribute that I haven't been able to find on many DS games. The only downside is the challenge: many times, you'll be underleveled for the coming bosses, and unless you have the Item menu open at all times, you're going to find healing to be a difficult task, especially in the first few levels before you can get a Cure spell. But all good games present a challenge, and this is no exception.
Rating: *****
Seiken Densetsu III: Ah, a wonderful title for the SNES. I believe in the USA, it's called Secret of Mana II. Something is amiss with the Mana Tree, and as the kingdom of Altena aims to gather the remaining Mana to become a super-kingdom, the rest of the world is beginning to crumble. Chosing as either Angela, Duran, Kevin, Carly, Lize, or Hawk as a leader, you and your team will face multiple dangers to collect the Mana stones before Angela's mother, the Queen of Reason, beats you to it. Depending on who you choose as a leader does affect the end boss and the opening scenes, but does little to change the story. The graphics are nice, and the battle system is challenging, something I found to be a bit rare on the SNES. If you're old-school and you're looking for a really good game for the SNES, I'd try for this one. Because of the multiple endings and combinations of party members, chances are you'll be playing this game three times at least just to face all of the end bosses. Think of it as a slightly shorter version of SaGa Frontier, with better storylines.
Rating: ****
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness: Remember back on the NES, where you played as Simon Belmont, and all you had to kill Dracula was a cute, little piece of string and a rosary? Well, guess what? This time, Konami means business. This is, in my opinion, the most beautiful Castlevania game out there. This time, the Belmonts take a step down out of the spotlight, and the story focuses on a Devil Forgemaster named Hector. When his wife is burned at the stake, he aims to find the man responsible for her death. Eventually, as in all great Castlevania games, that leads him right to Dracula. By far, this is the most customizable Castlevania game in the series. Not only can you choose what equipment you can wear, you can make new equipment from materials, you can summon monsters, and you can actually command those monsters on what to do. With an awesome plot, beautiful graphics, and a really insane soundtrack, this will be on any Castlevania fan's Christmas list. And even if you're new to the series, I'm pretty sure you'll be playing this for hours trying to kick Dracula's ass back to Transylvania.
Rating: *****
My Sims: Kingdom: A Sims(?) game for the DS that, while saying it's from EA, doesn't appear to really have anything to do with the Sims games at all. In this edition, SimTown has been ransacked by a crook who is literally sucking up everything in the city, leaving nothing but a not-so-barren wasteland. As the newcomer, King Roland instructs you to fix the city for him, and with help from the crazy scientist next door (literally), you're well on your way to getting there. Unfortunately, after a few hours of play, this game gets really, really repetitive. There are a number of minigames for you to play, but unlike the Sims, you don't need to eat, go to the bathroom, or even sleep. The only reason to sleep is to pass time. The storyline is rather slow, but being able to create the city to your likeness does add a certain level of addictiveness to the game. It really does depend on what you like to play. And if you're expecting this to be anything like the Sims, you will be disappointed.
Rating: ***
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure: A nice, little RPG for the DS. Basically, it's a short story between two young teenagers (one being a prince, the other being a girl living in the country) who fall in love. One day, an evil witch named Marjorly comes and inadvertantly petrifies the prince, and now it's up to Cornet, the player, to save him by collecting the five stones (one for each element in the game) and opening a gate to the Netherworld. The graphics are cute, but the music is a little annoying, and the monetary system is a little lacking. Also, the game is unfortunately, very short. It took me less than a week to get from the beginning to the final dungeon. But still, it's a nice distraction, and if you don't mind a short game and you want something cute to play, this might be a good game for you.
Rating: ***
Children of Mana: If you remember the game Secret of Mana, this may spark a few fond memories for you. Square Enix returns to us the magical realm of Mana, and in this particular game, something is wrong within this magical world. It seems the Mana Tree is crumbling, and it's up to you to help stop it before the world crumbles apart. Unfortunately, unlike SoM, you have no world map to traverse. It's a simple dungeon crawling game, and the only town seems to be the starting village. At the very beginning, you choose which character you will play (Ferrik the fighter, Tamber the Archer, Porron the Mage, and Wanderer the Tank) and that will affect how difficult the game is. If you're into games like Chocobo's Dungeon, or the Pokemon Mystery dungeons, I suggest you look into this game. Its good graphics and randomly generated maps (not to mention the thousands of quests from the NPCs) will keep you entertained for some time.
Rating: ****
Orcs and Elves: A tried and true dungeon crawler for the DS, and not really the best out there. The graphics aren't that good compared to games like FFIII or Dungeon Explorer, and you get little to no clues as to what you're doing before you're thrust into your first fight against a Were-Rat. There's very little sound in the game, and only one 'town' consisting of a large room with a dragon, with whom you'll be doing all your trading with if she likes you. And, you only visit this room at the end of a level. So, if you used all your potions and are just in the middle of a tough dungeon, completely surrounded by lava monsters, you're screwed to a fate worse than gaming death. Overall, it's so-so, but I really wouldn't pay the $30 it goes for. I'm lucky and got a copy for less than $10, and it wasn't even worth that.
Rating: **
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team: Best... pokemon... game... EVER! I'm not lying, this by far is the most enthralling Pokemon game I've ever owned, and I was happy to pay every cent needed to get it. Basically, you are a human turned into a pokemon (which is decided based on a personality quiz), and you need to find a way to become human again. With your trusted sidekick, another pokemon of your choosing, you will crawl through amazingly difficult dungeons and convince other pokemon to join your rescue team, all the while trying to help the various NPCs out when they reach out to you. And, if that's not enough, there's even bonuses for when you actually beat the game! Definitely a huge must if you're a diehard Pokemon fanatic.
Rating: *****
Rune Factory: Do you love Harvest Moon, but miss the conventions of a typical RPG? Prepare to be flabbergasted with Rune Factory. This amazing game combines the best of Harvest Moon with the fighting of a Final Fantasy game, and the dungeon-crawling of various others mentioned on this page. Basically, the first half of your time will be spent tilling your farm, trying to make money for the shiny Small Sword you see in Leo's Armory. But, once you lay hands on that beautiful piece of non-farming equipment, chances are farming will go right down the drain as you hack and slash your way to victory. You play as a mysterious young boy named Raguna, and you must go through these perilous dungeons to discover who placed Monster Generators in them, and to what reason. As you do so, you'll be tilling the earth in these dungeons (which is required most of the time to continue), and gaining the trust of the many NPCs of the village. Can you handle farming to this degree!?
Rating: *****
Cooking Mama: Ever want to learn how to cook, but are too afraid to burn dinner to try? With Cooking Mama, she'll teach you how to make dishes without causing harm to your pans. Using the stylus (or Wii remote for the Wii version), follow the on-screen direction mama gives to slice, dice, fry, bake, and stew, and soon you'll be cooking with the best of the best! In Cooking Mama 2, cook perfectly for her friends, and you'll get a special surprise from them! In Cooking Mama for Wii, compete against her friends and you'll get prizes if you can win! Are you ready to impress mama with your skills!?
Rating: ****
NightCaster: An excellent game for people who love action and adventure without having to go through half a world-map to find it. In this game, you play as a wizard-in-training, Arron, who was sent to a world of magic when he was just a boy and spent his years in training with the help of a mysterious Orb. By the time he emerged, his town was in ruins, with none of his friends left to aid him and his parents being dead. Now, Arron must set out to uncover just why his village was attacked and where his friends have gone. With magic being your weapon (melee does no damage in this game, it merely knocks monsters back), you will need to use both analog controls on your Xbox controller, but it offers a fresh new way to fight your foes. Music isn't a big focus (there nearly is none) but the graphics are amazing and the gameplay is addictive. The only downside is that the only way to restore your health is from Health orbs dropped by random monsters. That makes for a very quick game over if you can't conserves your life very well. Recommended for people who love magic and don't mind not having a place to buy armor or potions in this game.
Rating: *****
Fable: The Lost Chapters: Ever wanted a game where you could be evil and still be seen as a hero? Fable is for you, then. You start out as a young boy whose village is destroyed by Jack of Blades, a very powerful thief who can destroy the world, and you can literally mold your character into whatever you wish. Your actions depend on how you turn out in the villagers' eyes, but it doesn't ultimately affect the plot of the game. The magic spells aren't overly impressive, and the initial world map is rather small (you'll be doing a lot of backtracking from point A to B in most quests), but this is one of the most customizable character RPGs I've ever played, with Morrowind being the only one at first. An easy-to-find and inexpensive RPG if you're looking to just get into the genre, and it's worth every cent you pay for it.
Rating: ****
Champions of Norrath: Straight from the creators of Buldur's Gate comes another RPG/dungeon crawler for those of us who love hours of exploration. Initially, you choose your race and your battle style of how you want to play, and you go through the rather straightforward quests and paths given to you. There doesn't seem to be a particular plot (mostly you save one race, head to a new chapter, and save another race, ect.), and all you seem to do is slay everything in sight. Wonderful graphics, but the character voices and quotes will eventually wear on you, and the game has its fair share of difficulty. It's also of relatively short length, and even if you begin the game on a different level, you'll initially be playing the game at least three times over to enjoy all of the benefits of it. If you have the patience for careful character building and don't mind the lack of people to speak to or the repetitive-ness of it, then you'll want to consider this.
Rating: ***
Pokemon Pearl: The fourth, and hopefully last, generation to the popular Pokemon series. Now we're heading up to close to 500 little critters for you to train and battle, and it keeps getting better as the game progresses. In the heart, it's pretty much the same "get your badges, beat the champion" stick we're all used to, but with a different move system, bigger map, and nearly 500 monsters to try to catch, you'll be incredibly busy if you plan to catch them all. The graphics are beautiful, and the game finally has a decent soundtrack, too. And don't forget the new Wi-Fi connection option. That'll make trading MUCH easier, without having to spend extra money on a game link.
Rating: *****
Purr Pals: If you like taking care of virtual kittens, then this game is a definite buy. Basically, it holds the same general idea as the popular Nintendogs series, but it's a bit more complicated than it seems. The feeding can get annoying very easily (you need to "shake" the food with the stylus, and if you stop shaking, you need to start over again), and getting money takes longer than necessary, but it's a great game considering. Just don't overload yourself with kitties, because just one kitty is enough to keep me busy for a while.
Rating: ****
Okami: An awesome game, one of the best I've played by far. Basically, in this game, you're a god in the form of a white wolf. You have to banish the evil that's all across Nippon, and you get to do it using your handy paintbrush and a variety of moves you can learn throughout the game. The game itself makes quite a few Japanese mythical references, and the plot is undeniably interesting. This is an RPG worth your time.
Rating: *****
Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green: Remember the old Pokemon Red and Blue versions back in 1995, and we all thought that the graphics were slammin'? Well, holy crap has Gamefreak improved! Basically, these are remixes of the old Pokemon games, but that doesn't mean they're not fun. Oh contrare, I can assure you you'll be spending hours of your life playing these remixes and just checking out all the new features. Match that up with the new graphics, better soundtrack, and the fact that you can catch Jhoto pokemon, I think this should be on any Pokemon diehard's list.
Rating: ****
Animal Crossing: A cute. but repetitive game. Basically, you move to a town where animals live, and act like humans. You can do favors for them, write to them, fish, collect bugs, and dig, right? Well, there's more to it. You also have a house that you can expand, and you'll need to pay off the debt to do it too. With great characters, and the new technology where time passes in real life as well as in the game (say you start playing at 9 PM, and stop. If you start again at 5 AM, it'll be 5 AM in the game too), this is definitely a game worth checking out, especially for the younger audiences.
Rating: ***
Blinx: The Time Sweeper: One of the only cute games for the Xbox that's rated E. What if there was a factory dedicated to keeping the flow of time using small crystals? What if a team of bandits are stealing the crystals? As Blinx, it's your job to find these criminals and save the worlds they're destroying. If not, you'll disappear for good. With a strict 10 minute time limit, this game offers some pretty decent challenges. The graphics are very child-friendly and the music is loud and fun to dance to. This is a game I recommend to little kids.
Ratng: ****
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness: A GREAT pokemon game, probably much better than the others. Basically, an evil organization is capturing pokemon. Same thing, right? Well, this time they're sealing up the pokemon's hearts to create Shadow Pokemon to use as weapons for their plans of world domination. As the hero, it's your job to take back and purify these shadow pokemon. The graphics are awesome, however you can't catch as many pokemon and the ability to breed them was taken out.
Rating: ****
Kingdom Hearts 2: Again, Disney and Square have done an amazing job of creating a masterpiece's sequel. New characters, better abilities, different summons, and the new ability to fuse with your allies makes the fighting interesting, and the gameplay is near similar to the first KH with one exception. You can still talk and open chests in even in battle, but this time the story focuses more on Nobodies than the Heartless. Unfortunately, to me, KH2 is a bit of a flop, I prefer KH1.
Rating: *****
Chibi-Robo: VERY CUTE GAME! This is a game for any kid, at any age. Basically, you play as a little robot named Chibi, and the object is to make your family happy, happy, happy! Clean up muddy footprints, take out the trash, and fight evil spiders for Moolah with over 8 unique tools and costumes. Great music, and wonderful graphics, this is one GameCube game worth getting.
Rating: ****
Chrono Trigger: For an SNES game, this one took the charts! Its storyline, which is based on time travel, is very good and the cast of characters sets it off right. So, you play as Chrono and you are sent to the fair to meet your crazy friend who likes to invent things. Well, what if that invention went berserk, sending you into a different era? What if you found something that will destroy the world? Anyway, this game is great and if you can find it, by all means, GET IT! Although the battle system is different from most RPGs, you'll get the hang of it quickly.
Rating: *****
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