Madden Football Rushes onto Nintendo 3DS

Posted by Wolfe on . One comment.

The Madden franchise has been a staple of American football on every console and hand-held gaming device for ages. The guys at EA Sports made sure the Nintendo 3DS was not left out on launch day.

Madden Football for the 3DS presents the full starting line-up for all 32 teams in the 2010 NFL season. You have the option of jumping right in and playing your favorite team against its biggest rival in single game mode or playing through a season with the team of your choice. There are 2 game modes available, 5 on 5, for fast paced, high scoring action, or the traditional 11 on 11. Multi-player is supported so you can take on your buddies and see who has the best Madden skills.

The game-play is pretty straightforward. The playbook and play calling is all done in the lower 2D screen. The action takes place in the top where you can control the players every step. The game controls are reasonably responsive. But, despite the good 3D graphics, timing the deep pass can be difficult because the depth perception isn’t quite there. This is largely due to the fact that it is hard on the eyes switching back and forth between the top (3D) and bottom (2D)screens all the time.

The hard-core Madden fan will be disappointed there is no trading or franchise mode. The 3D graphics are wonderfully rendered and anybody who just wants to play some football on their 3DS will find Madden Football enjoyable.

DOA Dimensions Comes Alive on the 3DS

Posted by Wolfe on . 2 comments.

Dead or Alive (DOA) has been around since the mid-90′s. This fighter franchise has always been a pleasure to play whether in the arcade or on a console. For the first time, hand-held gamers are going to be able to enjoy the thrill of punching and kicking your way though the comprehensive DOA story mode dubbed “Chronicle.”

For those familiar with the DOA saga, there are 24 characters brought back from all of the previous installments to choose from. You can also choose to play as Ryu Hayabuso, from the Ninja Gaiden series. The plot is seriously awesome. Dimensions takes the gamer through the complete DOA story, from the first installment to the latest. If you are new to the franchise, this is the only game you need to buy. If you’re a seasoned DOA fighter, all the gaps in the story are finally filled in.

The game has always been delivered in 3D which is one major reason why the Nintendo 3DS is the only hand-held system the franchise has released a game for. This also means that the game-play fully utilizes the 3DS power at your fingertips. The lower touch screen is used to execute combo moves while the combat takes place in the top screen.

The depth and detail of the action is truly amazing on the 3DS. DOA Dimensions is a must have game. In addition to Chronicle mode, there are tag team and multi-player modes that will keep you throwing combos for hours on end.

Bust-a-Move Universe: Busting the Mold or Just Busted?

Posted by Wolfe on . One comment.

Bust-A-Move Universe is available on the Nintendo 3DS and puzzle games are always at their best on a hand-held system. Unfortunately, in the rush to have Bust-A-Move Universe ready for launch, a few aspects of the game got overlooked or just fell short.

The basic game-play remains the same: Launch bubbles to create a chain of the 3 or more similarly colored bubbles to make them pop. Clear the levels to save your dinosaur friends and along the way earn power ups and special bubble moves.

There are several modes for playing the game. In puzzle mode you play through 8 worlds and face a boss at the end of each. It is very short though, I finished in just over 2 hours. There are three time attack modes including infinite. The pleasure of challenging your friends is denied however, because there is no multi-player mode.

Sadly, the developers at Square Enix and Taito didn’t put in the effort to incorporate 3D elements well. It would have been great to be able to rotate the game board and create chains of bubbles that stretch to the back and sides but the game board is still just a bland 2D surface. When the bubbles burst, they fly off into the 3D environment that makes the backdrop but, this visual effect is not spectacular.

Overall, Bust-A-Move Universe didn’t embrace the power of the Nintendo 3DS. A lack of features and poorly executed 3D elements make it hard to justify playing the game.

A Drive-by View of Ridge Racer 3D

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Ridge Racer Nintedo 3DS racing gameWhenever a new console launches, Namco seems to be ready with another installment in their popular Ridge Racer series. For the Nintendo 3DS, Ridge Race 3D is the first racing game available.

In the Ridge Racer tradition, there are a ton of tracks to drive. The Grand Prix Tour mode will certainly consume days and even weeks of free time as you earn the necessary credits to buy the cars you unlock along the way and upgrade to the Nth degree. Quick Tour, Time Attack and single race modes are also there for any player who just wants a quick 3D racing fix.

The 3D action is where this installment separates itself from the rest of the series. Many of the effects are fairly simple like streamers flying into the camera as you drive by the stands or leaves that get blown onto the windshield as you wind your way through the countryside. Despite this quaint exploitation of the 3D technology, it really does add a depth to the racing experience that enhances what many expected to be a tired reincarnation of a played-out racing game.

The only downside to this game doesn’t present itself until very late in the campaign. Once the speeds get ridiculously fast the frame rate occasionally has trouble keeping up with the action. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen very often so the gameplay still remains quite pleasing. Overall, Ridge Racer 3D is an exciting game that needs to be part of your Nintendo 3DS game collection.

Pilotwings Resort Flies into the Third Dimension

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Nintendo 3DS Pilot Wings ResortThe Nintendo 3DS is taking portable gaming to a new level and a new dimension. One of the best ways to get a taste of this awesome experience is by playing Pilotwings Resort. This game was designed for the Nintendo 3DS and the game-play and impressive graphics make it clear that Nintendo is still in touch with its fans.

On the surface, Pilotwings Resort is your basic flying game. Learn to control pitch and yaw as you work your way through mastering the basics of piloting aircraft and earn you licenses. When you’re ready, jump into free flight mode and explore the island. Pick up collectibles and test you skills in a fixed wing aircraft or even a hang-glider.

The basic game-play is pretty simple. The goals are not extremely challenging. If the 3D slider is moved down to 2D, this game has no hope keeping your attention. But the real point of Pilotwings Resort is to showcase the power of the Nintendo 3DS as a hand-held game console. Pilotwings does this admirably. While it may not be a hard game to conquer, it is easy to lose several hours just exploring the game environment in 3D mode.

The Nintendo 3DS is backwards compatible and for this reason, no games were bundled with it. The biggest complaint I have about Pilotwings Resort is that it wasn’t bundled with the Nintendo 3DS. To really appreciate the Nintendo 3DS, you need a game that shows off its capabilities and that game is Pilotwings Resort.

Jimmy Fallon Demos Face Raiders

Posted by Louise on . 4 comments.

If you haven’t seen the video yet, you’re going to love Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime’s appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to demo the Nintendo 3DS! AR or augmented reality gets projected onto a big screen for live audience viewing and TV filming, and Jimmy pops in front of the camera to confirm what we are viewing in 3D through the lens of the camera is taking place live! Augmented Reality uses a camera to show surroundings, and graphical technology to add in elements so it looks as though the two worlds have merged. Face Raiders next! Mr. Fils-Aime points the camera to focus on Jimmy’s face, as seen in the accompanying image, above, snaps a picture, and creates an avatar to shoot virtual tennis balls at, as several of the same avatars crowd the screen with audience in real time visible in the background while Jimmy himself rus in front of the camera waving his arms to distract Fils-Aime from hitting bullseyes!

Rabbids Travel in Time 3DS

Posted by Millie on . One comment.

Rabbids Travel in Time:
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Cons:
1) There are only four time eras.
2) Each level is very repetitive.
3) The game is too easy. I beat it within a week.

Pros:
1) It’s a great side-scroller.
2) Make’s good use of the 3D effect.
3) The eras have themed music and backgrounds.
4) You can unlock a series of dioramas and pictures.

In conclusion, this is a great game for children, but for us older folks, it seems to go way too fast. I truly regret making this my first 3DS game.