Archive for the ‘3DS’ Category
5
Mar
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games. Tagged: 3DS, agnes, based, bravely, default, edea, jrpg, Review, ringabel, rpg, streetpass, tiz, turn. Leave a comment
Here’s a game that came out really late last year in Europe and Australia but only just hit the United States last month. It’s a pretty damn long one and I only recently finished it.
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Platform: 3DS
Developer: Silicon Studio/Square Enix
Rating: M
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Pretty bad name, lovely game.
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The new default.
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From now on, whenever a game developer attempts to craft a JRPG in the mould of classic 1980s and ’90s Final Fantasy titles, they need not look at the classics themselves. Rather, they now owe it to themselves to look at the 3DS exclusive Bravely Default. Not only does this Square Enix-published homage succeed in recapturing the magic of the epic turn-based fantasy tales of old, but it drags their spirit firmly into the current generation. It is a delectable treat for nostalgic FF fans, boasting an addictive set of job mechanics without forgetting about the importance of memorable characters and a grand story. It isn’t perfect – not by a long shot – but it is a wonderful game.
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30
Oct
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games. Tagged: 2ds, 3DS, nintendo, Pokemon, Review, version, x, xerneas, y, yveltal. Leave a comment
Over the last couple of weeks, every time I thought I was ready to write and complete this review someone online would discover some other new thing within Pokemon X. But now I can finally say I’m ready to post the review having experienced enough of the whole game to make a good fist of everything. This will be a long one. Enjoy.
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Platform: 3DS
Developer: Game Freak
Rating: PG
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Not “X Version”, for some reason. Just “X”.
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Simply X-cellent.
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Pokemon X and its near-identical counterpart Pokemon Y represent several ambitious steps forward for one of Nintendo’s flagship videogame series. The first three-dimensional Pokemon adventure is a stunning audio-visual achievement that makes the 3DS sing and draws smartly from the nostalgia wells of an entire generation. But perhaps most excitingly, the game is the first in the series to admit that Pokemon has transformed beyond its creators’ wildest dreams into an endlessly deep competitive juggernaut over the last decade. The game works very clearly with this in mind, resulting in a wonderful social experience that is also more balanced than the series ever has been. It’s a must-have for most any 3DS owner.
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4
Jul
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games. Tagged: animal, crossing, gallery, photo, screenshot, town. Leave a comment
Almost every single day since it launched in Australia on June 15th, I have played some Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
A lot of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, rather.
I really shouldn’t check my Activity Log to find out exactly how many hours. The number may horrify me.
In any case, one of the coolest of many new additions to this latest iteration in the Beetle Animal Crossing franchise is the ability to save a screenshot at any time, which to the best of my knowledge is unique among 3DS games thus far.
So here are some screenshots from my town, Egopolis, because it’s a lot quicker than writing my thoughts on the game in a couple thousand word essay.
This is me. Come to my town. It’ll be fun, I promise.
It rains a bit.
Rockin’ it.
My house and front yard, thanks to the magic of QR code design downloads.
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15
Jun
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games, PS3. Leave a comment
We are now halfway through this incredible, bountiful month of June and I’ve gotta tell ya, it’s moments like these that make me glad I play videogames.
Within hours I’ll be carefully stalking around corners in tattered clothes I’ve been wearing for weeks, desperately avoiding the gaze of stragglers as I scavenge through an overgrown landscape ravaged by time, stealing what I need to survive without care for the consequences.
Oh, and also playing The Last of Us.
7
Jun
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games, Wii U. Tagged: Console, Mario, metroid, super, virtual, Wii U, world. Leave a comment
To think I have the nerve to call myself a Nintendo fan.
I’ve never played either of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle games.
Also, I’ve never played Super Metroid.
And, uh, um, I’ve never played Super Mario World.
Yeah, I know, I know.
And by that what I mean to say is, I hadn’t played them until very recently.
You see, there’s this console called the Wii U that Nintendo released at the end of last year. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. It hasn’t had a lot of games released for it in the last several months (that’s an understatement) and I haven’t used it much, but it did recently unveil its new online Virtual Console service, which does give Wii U owners some actual content to enjoy. Old content, sure, but content nonetheless.
So, starved of reasons to pick up my Wii U gamepad, I had the best excuse I’ve ever had to delve into those two critically untouchable supposed gems of the Super Nintendo era: Super Mario World and Super Metroid. I downloaded the pair for the grand total of ten dollars and seventy cents. I played them.
And my self-worth as a Nintendo fan plummeted.
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18
May
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games, PS Vita. Tagged: 3DS, escape, last, PS, Review, reward, virtue, Vita, zero. Leave a comment
Now for a little gem that came out very late last year in Australia and got buried in the AAA blockbuster rush. It only came to my attention last month when it was available as a free download on Playstation Vita as part of the Playstation Plus service. I liked it so much that I tracked down a 3DS copy of the game so my Vita-less friends could play it.
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Platform: 3DS, PSV
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Rating: M
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Creeeepy.
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It was agonizing.
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The first time I was faced with that terrible screen, forcing me to select either “ally” or “betray”, I stared blankly at the two options for what felt like hours. There were so many implications to that decision, so many permutations. What if my opponent betrayed me after I left myself open by choosing to ally? What if I was the one who betrayed a vulnerable player, bringing them that much closer to their death? Which option was worse? Such is the primary dilemna at the heart of the truly mind-bending Virtue’s Last Reward.
Simple, but never, ever easy.
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1
May
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Console, Games, PS Vita. Tagged: 3DS, better, comparison, Portable, PS Vita. Leave a comment
Because I play far too many portable games not to write this.
As far as portable gaming in today’s society is concerned, the naysayers and doomsday prophets haven’t quite been proved right yet. Apple’s portable devices, while demanding a huge market share thanks to their usefulness in other areas of life, have not stamped out the need for dedicated portable gaming devices. Sales figures show as much. Call it the need for physical buttons, call it the type of development costs that go into creating dedicated experiences, call it what you may; at least for the time being, you can still get some fantastic, fleshed out experiences on dedicated handhelds.
The question is, which of the two most prominent platforms is most worth your cash? The Nintendo 3DS, or the Playstation Vita? Each has been out for at least a year by now, after all. Well, as an owner of both, I hope I can help you decide today.
I’ve broken the comparison down into five segments:
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11
Apr
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games, Wii U. Tagged: 3, 3DS, beginner, guide, Monster Hunter, starter, Ultimate, Wii U. Leave a comment
We kick off the first Vagrant Rant guest writing week with a guide piece written by ZaonTheFirst, a JRPG afficianado with a taste for the grind. Having played over six hours of the new Monster Hunter myself, I can tell you that the game is hella confusing for newcomers and these tips have already helped me immensely.
—Written by ZaonTheFirst—
—Edited/formatted by Vagrantesque—
So, you’ve just picked up your copy of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on 3DS or Wii U. You’ve jumped into your first boss monster quest and immediately you think “HOW THE *^@!$ DO I PLAY THIS GAME?!”… If this is you, don’t worry. I used to be like that too… many years ago…
ANYWAY, you’re in luck because because this is a list of tips on “How newcomers can make the most of their Monster Hunter playthrough”.
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1. Have the correct mindset.
This is arguably the single most important tip. If you charge into even the lower rank boss monster quests with the God of War, Devil May Cry, generic-hack’n’slash-game mindset, I GUARANTEE you will have a bad time. Unlike the aforementioned games, you’ll be focusing on something a lot more than actually attacking. What is that, you may ask? See below.
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30
Aug
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Games. Tagged: 3DS, Bros, Mario, New Super Mario Bros 2, Review. Leave a comment
The latest adventure of everyone’s favourite plumber has arrived just in time for the 3DS XL’s launch. It unleashed its gold-fever madness on Australia on the 18th of August.
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Platform: 3DS
Developer: Nintendo
Rating: G
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My favourite video game cover of the year so far.
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So. Many. Coins.
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So very, very many coins. Just, coins, everywhere.
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30
Aug
Posted by vagrantesque in 3DS, Console, Games. Tagged: 3DS, Console, Handheld, nintendo, Review, XL. 2 comments
New console number two out of three for the year!
After a relatively short build-up, Nintendo’s new 3DS XL was released in Australia last Thursday. It retails for $250, which is technically the same RRP as the regular 3DS (although many retailers sell the original model for less). That was the first pleasant surprise it provided me with. The second was how good it felt to hold and play. The third was how good its stereoscopic 3D looked. The fourth was how easily I could recommend it, to anyone, as a system superior to its smaller cousin in almost every way.
It’s just a nice-looking piece of tech, really.
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