PBR? No, not Pabst Blue Ribbon. I’m talking about the exciting new game for the Wii, Pokémon Battle Revolution. Though I must admit, drinking the former whilst playing the latter would be enjoyable. PBR brings a lot of firsts for the Wii. First of all, it is the first online game for the Wii. That’s right, after entering all those fun 16 digit friend codes, you too can throw down some Pocket Monsters you’re your Pokéfreaks across the world. Also, it’s the first Wii game to connect to the DS. With PBR, you can download and use all the Pokémon you caught in Diamond or Pearl, and you can even use your DS as a controller. Finally, this is, of course, the first Pokémon game for the Wii.

So with all those distinctions, you can see why PBR looks exciting. To be honest, it’s not even really a game. It’s just a fun way to battle with your Pokémon online. Now I’ve had PBR for a few days, so I thought I’d post some opinions. First of all, if you haven’t played Pokémon for the DS, don’t waste your time with PBR. Although you can battle Pokémon without connecting a DS, the game is really meant to let you battle with all the Pokémon caught on Diamond and Pearl. Also, the single player mode is pretty boring. You just battle dumb NPCs, that’s it. So as you can see, although PBR brings a couple of firsts to the Wii, it’s on the whole a shallow gaming experience. About the only fun I’ve had so far, is playing random people online. You might not expect it, but the online competition is pretty stiff. Almost everyone I’ve faced has a ridiculous set of maxed out legendary Pokémon. I hate to be so harsh on a series I love, but this game is just way to shallow. You could find more depth in an Xbox Live Arcade title. Other than that, the graphics look pretty good, you know for a souped-up Gamecube.

Call me crazy, but I love those Pokémon games. People often criticize them for their supposed recycling of a tired concept. But in my humble opinion, the series manages to stay fresh with new additions better than a lot of other series. I’d say Madden and Animal Crossing are a lot more stale than Pokémon. Sure, there isn’t anything completely ground breaking with Diamond and Pearl. But what works has remained untouched, and the only changes are improvements.

Diamond and Pearl now feature wireless trades and battles over the Internet, Voice over IP communications, and much improved interface. Altogether, D&P keeps the same addictive hook of a collection oriented RPG with newly added features. You can also import previously caught Pokémon from the GBA Pokémon titles through the GBA slot in your DS, and you will be able to play them on the upcoming Pokémon: Battle Revolution for the Wii.

I keep hearing a lot of gamers saying that Pokémon needs to die out, and that it is a tired concept. However, with these new releases Nintendo keeps raising the bar on an already stellar franchise. Sure, the Pokémon derivative games suck, I will give you that (Ranger, Mystery Dungeon, etc.). But I really think these are the best Pokémon games ever.

I have only put about 15 hours into my copy of Diamond, and I love it. It is just such a fun game. So if playing Pokémon games is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

After much waiting, and spending way too much money on it, I finally have Guitar Hero II. I kept putting off getting it for the PS2, in hopes that an Xbox 360 version would be better, and finally it’s here. Last night I played it for hours, and had a great time. Hit the jump for some more opinions…

First of all, the Xbox 360 version includes all 60+ tracks of the PS2 version, and adds 10 more tracks (some by original artists), the ability to add downloadable content, HD graphics, online leaderboards, and a new guitar controller. Despite taking a step backward with a wired guitar controller (still annoyed by this), I really love the X-Plorer style. Aside from some people having trouble with the wammy bar, it is solid and well-built. It even has a port for yet-to-be-released effects pedals, which will either be released for Guitar Hero, or even could be for Rock Band.

Now I know a lot of people out there think the idea for Guitar Hero is extremely stupid, grossly overrated, or merely mildly entertaining. That’s fine. No games will please everyone. But I have heard some pretty harsh close-minded critiques about it. Regardless of your reason, I really think this game should be played a few times before you pass judgment. I am a big fan of rhythm games, and was originally hooked by games like Donkey Konga and Taiko Drum Master. But Guitar Hero represents a lot more than simply hitting a drum at the right time. There is a certain savage mysticism to Rock n’ Roll that is perfectly conveyed by this game. I initially just got the game because of the fun I had with other rhythm games, but after playing through a few songs, and getting the hang of the controls, I was able to let loose.

This is going to sound extremely silly, but the game Guitar Hero is about becoming exactly that. Once you get the controls down, and you’re comfortable with the interface, you become an axe-welding Rock God. A destroyer of civilizations. A being who exists merely to melt the faces off of others with his God-like guitar thrashing. You are a Guitar Hero. Like I said, silly. But, this is what video games are all about. A video game lets you become and do something you are not. You can be a wise old wizard, or a super-hero, or Peyton Manning. Its inherent interactivity provides a greater vehicle for escape. So Guitar Hero lets you become Jimi Hendrix, Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, or whoever you want to be. And you are entertaining the masses with your sick guitar skills. This essentially is what Guitar Hero has been able to do that no other rhythm game has been able to do. While banging around on bongos can be fun, generally the player is not imagining himself as a professional bongo player.

Basically, that’s just what I’ve gathered from playing alone. If only I could talk a friend into getting this game so we could play some co-op. Wait, how much is another guitar controller again?

Puzzle Quest has been usually enjoyable, sometimes frustrating, but always addicting. At first glance, I thought it was just a crappy Bejewled derivative with a gimmicky game mechanic. But, as with most first glances, there is so much more to it.

Puzzle Quest is a Puzzle RPG game. As far as the RPG aspects go, they are all there, and they get relatively deep. There are multiple classes of characters with a traditional leveling system, customizable abilities, spells, and equipment. There is an overworld, with multiple cities, some of which you can “siege”. You can build up a city by adding forges, stables, mage towers, and many other things that will aide your quest. Now, if we just stopped there, Puzzle Quest wouldn’t be anything special. Granted, it would be my kind of game, but nothing that other games haven’t done.

Luckily, this is when the Puzzle aspect comes in. All of your battles, whether they are random, or key to a quest, take place over a puzzle grid. If you’ve played Bejeweled, you will instantly understand the concept. Swap objects’ positions on a grid to line up three or more in a row. I tried out bejeweled, but it was too slow and boring for me. I didn’t really feel I was thinking at all, but merely lining things up. What makes PQ different is that your opponent is using the same puzzle to battle you, so you must think ahead and not leave any big moves open to your opponent. The different types of objects in the playing area are: Fire (Red), Air (Yellow), Water (Blue), and Earth Mana(Green), Gold, EXP, and Attack. Depending on what items you link up determines what you get or do. You can collect Mana, attack your opponent, or get Gold or EXP. After gaining enough mana, you can cast spells that affect you or your opponent.

Now, I don’t expect you to instantly understand the entire concept, but the game plays a lot like a cross between Bejeweled and Magic: The Gathering. You will need to pay attention to a lot of factors to be a successful player, and you will have adjust your strategy depending on the pieces on the board. The game is really fun, and addicting, and is a perfect fit for the Nintendo DS. But there is one shortcoming. The AI can be unbearably frustrating to play. It will always know the best move, and will always be able to construct combo chains that no human could see. Still, I would rather have painfully difficult AI than horribly stupid AI. PQ has taken two existing and even tired game concepts and combined them into something that is new, challenging, and entirely fun. Any puzzle or RPG fan should give this one a go.

I love logic puzzles. There is no denying it. This is why I, among the millions, am extremely fond of Sudoku. But I have found a new puzzle, and I am completely addicted. Apparently, these puzzles are huge in Japan, and are nothing new. The generic name for them is “Paint by numbers”, but the labeled name is Picross. Apparently, Nintendo tried to turn American audiences on to these puzzles back in 1995 with their release of “Mario’s Picross”, but it was a flop. In fact, the copy of Picross DS I am playing is in Japanese. Aside from having to figure out the menu, translation isn’t a problem. All of the gameplay is just pictures and numbers. It’s kind of hard to explain the concept of a “paint by numbers” puzzle, but the Wikipedia entry does an awesome job.

Basically, you have to complete a picture by filling in or crossing off boxes on a grid by using numerical clues. In the beginning, you can use some simple logical conclusions like you would in minesweeper. But when the puzzles get more difficult, be prepared to use techniques with funny names like Gluing and Forcing. What I have loved so much about the game is how many methods exist to logically prove each step in the game. Once again, Wikipedia exhausts every technique you would need to complete a puzzle. Because of the stylus control, Picross is a perfect match for the DS. If you are a fan of logic puzzles, you should check out Picross puzzles. If you don’t have a DS, try googling “Paint by numbers” to find some free online puzzles.

Picross DS at Play Asia

As you may know, I’ve been taking the MARTA train to work. This means lots of DS time, which in turn, means more games! I was excited about Children of Mana when I first saw the frenetic gameplay. But some “meh” reviews cooled my interest off. After finishing Castlevania: PoR, I was itching to pick up something new, so I thought, “why not”. Children of Mana is a multi-player dungeon roamer action-RPG. Wow, that’s a mouthful. Anyways, it’s my kind of game. It’s fun, but there, as always, are a few issues I have with it. It’s a little too easy, and the toned down, “E for Everyone” style dialogue makes the whole struggle to save the world just come off as comical. I can’t really put my finger on it, but the dialogue just seems like some localization intern’s first project. It would be great if I could convince some of my DS buddies to give it a try, so we could do some wireless multi-player gaming together. I think that’s really what the game is made for. But, alas! As Chris said the other day, “You’re not selling it very well.” He’s right, pick it up someday, but not at full price.

Well, today is it for 2006. Most likely we will all be watching some sort of electrically powered sphere descending tonight, ushering in a new year. So let’s look back on 2006, what I consider to be, maybe the most exciting year for video games. Here are my favorite 10 games of 2006. Now the requirements were simple, they had to come out in 2006, and they (obviously) had to be a game I played. I don’t have the time to play every good game from 2006, so there are probably some games that belong on this last, that just weren’t played by me. These honorable mentions would be Okami, Final Fantasy V and XII, and Guitar Hero II. Now, let the countdown begin.

10. Tetris DS
I love Tetris. I have fond memories of borrowing my brothers gigantic gray Game Boy just to play it. Luckily, with Tetris DS, Nintendo didn’t just throw together a rehash. First of all, it has a fun retro motif with all the sights and sounds from classic Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Zelda, and Donkey Kong. Multiple game modes were added like Puzzle, Touch, Push, and Grab. And the greatest addition of all: Online Play. With Tetris DS, you can play other Tetraheads all over the world.

9. Elite Beat Agents
I kept hearing great things about Osu! Tatake! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game for the DS. Given that the cost to import it would run me about $50-$60, I didn’t jump on it. Luckily, given it’s success in the East, Nintendo gave it the green light for a western remake. Elite Beat Agents features an eclectic mix of American pop that you must touch, drag, and spin to the beat. It takes a little while to get used to the concept and timing, but given the games quirky animation and stories, it’s a pretty fun game.

8. Dead Rising
Leave it to Capcom to completely reinvent a genre they created. Capcom created the surrvival-horror genre with Resident Evil, and given all the similar titles that followed, people love it. GTA is known for inventing the go-anywhere, do-anything mechanic known as sandboxing. Put the two together and you get a fun over-the-top zombie romp. A lot of times putting two successful gaming styles together don’t work very well (*cough, Odama), but for Dead Rising, it definitely works.

7. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
In case you didn’t know, Konami loves to make these 2D Castlevania games for Nintendo handhelds. I believe we are now up to the 5th original Castlevania handheld title that uses the same Metroid inspired 2D exploration style. You’d think that it would be getting old, but Konami knows how to keep the mix fresh. Portrait of Ruin adds to the enjoyable “Soul” system established in Dawn of Sorrow, with a two character tandem control scheme. It allows you to double your strategies and is even organic to the plot.

6. New Super Mario Bros.
Did you know that until New Super Mario Bros. Came out, we hadn’t seen an original 2D Mario game since Super Mario World? That’s right, Mario’s adventures have been relegated to 3D romps and 2D re-releases. That is, until now. It was such fun to play this game. You get all the established things from previous Mario games like Koopas, Goombas, and navigable overworlds. But there is a lot more too. There are mega mushrooms, and mini mushrooms, and a ton of fun random mini-games to play with friends.

5. Final Fantasy III
Another re-release in the top 10? How can this be? Well, Final Fantasy III, is probably the most extensive remake of a game ever. Square-Enix started with an 8-bit Famicom title that was never released in the States, completely rehauled the graphics to 3D, and added a ton of jobs. This, my friend, is no simple re-release. And considering, we’ve never had the chance to play it in the States, I’d consider it more to be a really late release, that was worth the wait. Although FF III, still has remnants of classic RPGs like grinding and linear dungeons, I found it to be very engaging and enjoyable.

4. Gears of War
Despite having just talked about this in a previous post, I will summarize it again. Gears of War completely shuns the established status quo for shooters. Where you would normally be strafing in circles and shooting people, you are now moving from bunker to bunker emphasizing positioning rather than firepower. Does this mean there is less action? No, dear reader, there is all the action you can handle. With your chainsaw-for-a-bayonet deathbringer, you will be knee deep in alien guts, with bullets whizzing over your head. You will not be bored.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The wait for Twilight Princess was intense. Nintendo kept pushing it back, and then made it a launch title for the Wii. Finally, on November 19th, with my newly purchased Wii, I began Link’s latest adventure. Twilight Princess is not perfect, but it is really freakin’ close. Featuring some of the best dungeons in the series, exciting combat sequences, and a wonderful story, I was completely fixated on this game. Although the argument can be made that the Wii controls felt a little like a add-on, it was fun swinging around my Wiimote to slash up enemies.

2. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
In case you couldn’t tell, I clearly have a soft spot for fantasy games. I never met a Final Fantasy or Zelda game I didn’t like. (Of course I never met Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, or the Zelda CD-i titles, but that’s another story). Despite my love of of fantastic stories, I had never played an Elder Scrolls game, until Oblivion. Oblivion is one of the most deep, engrossing (non-MMO) games you will ever play. It’s scope is huge, and calling it epic is an understatement. There are cities, guilds, side quests, and dungeons that exist completely independent of the main storyline. As engaging as Oblivion’s environments are, they are equally gorgeous. It’s amazing how great an almost launch title can look.

1. Wii Sports
A free pack-in game at the number one spot? How can it be? I understand that Wii Sports doesn’t have much depth and is not a graphical powerhouse. I understand that Wii Sports could probably run on a last-gen system. I understand all that. But one thing cannot be denied. Wii Sports is fun, and it is changing the playfield of games. Never before has a game had this much mass appeal, this quickly. Wii Sports has been the main fuel for the Wii buzz. Every single person that I have played it with, with even some of them never having played a video game, have enjoyed their experience playing it. After getting my Wii on launch day, I have since taken it to show friends and family. The results have been pretty amazing, I have heard at least 5 people say the words “I am buying one of these”. Wii Sports made the Wii. Without Wii Sports, Wii would probably be doing all right, being simply fueled by sales from gaming enthusiests. But Nintendo’s mission was not to cater to the existing minority of gamers, it was to braoden the market. Guess what? They are doing it. I choose Wii Sports not because of it’s graphics or depth, but because of it’s indelible impact on gaming.

Here’s a game I definitely wasn’t expecting to get for Christmas this year, but so far I am loving it. At first I was a little wary of Gears. I am not a huge shooter fan, and I quickly get board with games like Call of Duty, also this game has been hyped a considerable amount. Well, this isn’t your run of the mill shooter. It’s got some really awesome and fun gameplay mechanics. It’s all about finding cover, and developing strategy to find the right angle for your shot. It’s pretty much the antithesis to a run-n-gun. You must control Marcus Fenix from bunker to bunker, while commanding and aiding your team. Ironically, it draws more inspiration from competitive paintball, than actual warfare. It’s got probably the best graphics on a console game I have ever seen, and it’s got an interesting post apocalyptic alien invasion story. That sounds like a pretty tired concept, but the design of the enemies appearance and behavior is frightening and intense. It did seem a little linear at first, but the game allows you to branch paths to play different parts of levels. The single player campaign mode isn’t very long, but it was definitely built for online play. If you don’t have Xbox Live, you will be missing out a considerable chunk of this game. Gears had a whole lot of hype well before it was released, and now it has what I refer to as anti-hype. Anti-hype is the backlash some people place on a game or movie after it doesn’t fulfill their expectations that were inflated by hype. I can assure you, Gears is a great game, just don’t let the hype get you too excited about it. It’s not “game of the year” in my opinion, but it definitely belongs in the top 10. In summary, Gears is an excited and intense stop-n-pop shooter with all the blood, guts and bullets you could ever want.

Although I am feeling considerably better, the lingering effects of acute bronchitis still remain. So that means more games! And since we’re in the holiday season, that of course, is no problem.

Metal Slug Anthology
Despite numerous delays, Metal Slug Anthology made it in time for Christmas, barely. It came out Thursday. This is the equivocal release of Metal Slug, featuring all 7 of the games, with over 6 control options, and 5 of which use the Wii’s remote in unique ways. Although the motion sensing methods of control are fun, I still find myself using the classic push button method. Kudos to SNKP for letting me use my Gamecube controller. As far as controls go, this is what I was talking about in a previous post, provide choice, and provide both motion controls and classic controls via the Gamecube controller. As to the game itself, they are all great ports of the original, the only difference I see is some minimal loading times between different parts of the mission, but nothing that detracts from the action. Also, this is the first time I’ve been able to play Metal Slug 6, which was previously only available on the Sammy Atomiswave arcade system. Sure, some zealots out there have consolized the Atomiswave system, and with the Metal Slug 6 ROM, this would cost about $1000. I’m glad I waited to get my copy for a comparably measly $40. I noticed the back of the game says 4 players, but not sure if that is for all the Metal Slug games, since they were originally only 2 players. Guess we’ll see when I get more controllers. Also included in MSA are art gallery and music extras. Nothin’ big, but cool little extras you have to earn by beating all the Metal Slugs. I played through Metal Slug 3 last night, which is my favorite in the series. It was really fun, but of course this game was a quarter muncher, so I’m glad they provided an infinite continues option. All in all it took me 60 continues to beat Metal Slug 3, since it’s bean so long since I played it. So, that would be $30 in the arcade. You gotta love home arcade ports.

Final Fantasy III
Given my huge back log of unfinished games, I was going to wait on Final Fantasy III, but a one day deal at Toys R Us where I could get it for half off greased my wallet. I knew if I didn’t get it now, it would be a year or two till I could beat that price. And I figured I could buy two, sell one on eBay, and come close to getting mine for free. I also got Final Fantasy XII for half off, but that one will sit quietly until I am ready to play it. Final Fantasy III was originally only released in Japan for the Famicom, so this is actually the first time we Yanks get to play it. In their infinite wisdom, Square Enix decided to completely redo the title in 3-D, and I have to say, the results are beautiful. Colors are vibrant, and the attention to detail is pretty impressive. This is the best looking DS title I have ever seen. Also, Square Enix added a bunch of jobs to give the game more depth. When I read some initial reviews for Final Fantasy III, the only complaints were that it turned into a “grind-fest”, where you would often find yourself fighting random baddies for the sole purpose of leveling your characters. But so far, I haven’t found it to be a grind at all. My characters have naturally leveled at a good rate while exploring dungeons, but that’s really the way I play it. Most classic RPGs I scour the dungeon for every treasure, so I don’t have to deal with the “grind”. Even if I did, the battle system is well polished, and it is a true pleasure to fight baddies. Another cool feature is the added online ability. Really it just boils down to an in-game mail system, where you can mail other people playing the game while n your quest. Not much, but a start in the right direction. It would be cool if this could evolve into an Auction House system of sorts like on Final Fantasy XI. All in all, I am loving this game, and I’ve already logged about 6 hours in the last couple of days.

Alas, I am sick this weekend. What ever could fill my time until I get better? … I got it! Video Games! I have some video games I’ve been meaning to play, and one that just came out on Thursday. So, without further adieu, here’s what my weekend is looking like.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
You may remember seeing this on my Nintendo DS holiday buying guide. I have been looking forward to it for some time, since I am such a huge Castlevania fan. I pre-ordered my copy about a month ago, and Thursday I received it and what I think to be the greatest pre-order bonus ever. You see, every now and again, the developing company of a game will throw in a little promotional items to increase your chances of pre-ordering and rewarding the faithful. Some of my favorites have been my Chrono Cross clock, my Lunar Ghalleon Punching Doll, and other various T-shirts and soundtracks. Well, Konami topped everyone this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Castlevania. With the Portrait of Ruin pre-order, I received a 20th anniversary music CD with selections from almost all of the Castlevania games (37 tracks!), an art booklet showing design art from all the games, a mini-poster and time line of the series, a commemorative Castlevania stylus, and a Castlevania 2 game cartridge holder. How much was all of this stuff you ask. Nothing, it was free with a pre-order! Here’s a nice picture of all the stuff I got. Now I know, this stuff doesn’t matter much if the game stinks, but so far, I am really loving it. I have put a couple of hours in, and they added a lot to the series. First of all, it has a new two character simultaneous action and non-simultaneous strategy mechanic. It sounds complicated, but it works very well. You can choose who to control (Johnathan or Charlotte), and whether the other person is present or not. You can also tell the other the stay in a certain area, usually for puzzles, and you can combine powers for special attacks. So far it works very well, and I am really enjoying it.

Resident Evil 4
Say what you will, but I still haven’t played this game. I mean really played it. When it came out, I was in school and didn’t have time for it. And then I waited on playing it so I could play it on the Wii, in all it’s 480p component glory. So, now I will finally guide Leon through some crazy town, in the hopes to save the president’s daughter, or something like that. Bear with me, because I’m only speaking on first impressions here, but that has to be the worst way to start a story. I mean “kidnapped president’s daughter”? Wasn’t that done in Time Criss, and that was a rails shooter, when was the last time you were playing a light gun game and questioned you motivation? Here’s your motivation, you have a gun, shoot stuff. OK, OK, I’m just poking some jabs at Resident Evil. I have heard a lot of people say 4 is the best. Guess we’ll find out if I agree with them.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
This one’s a rental, but pretty fun. I liked Super Monkey Ball for the Gamecube, just not enough to purchase it. Even though this newest one for the Wii looks good, I still can’t bring myself to drop $50 for what feels like a really fun mini-game. Being sick means I can’t invite other people over to play, which kind of makes the huge party game feature useless. I’ll invite some friends over when I get better. So far what I like the most is the control. Basically you just hold the remote and tilt it in the direction you want the monkey to roll. Kind of like you are holding the playfield. The controls are very responsive and work very well, it just can be hard sometimes to be dexterous enough to beat some of the levels, which progressively get more difficult very fast. If one complaint can be made, it may be that the levels get too difficult too quickly. The first world you are just cruising along, and then boom, the levels get really tough. It is fun though, so you won’t immediately throw your controller in disgust (don’t forget the safety strap). If it is worth writing about, I may put up something more about multi-player Monkey Ball, once all my Monkey Friends are able to come over.

Gitaroo Man
For some reason I have been seeing this game randomly plugged on Kotaku recently. I think one of the contributers loves this game, and I see a lot of people talking about it, so I figured I’d try it. It’s definitely different. It is a rhythm game, where you move your joystick and press buttons in time. I know that sounds like PaRappa or UmJammy Lammy. And it also has a simple yet cute animation style with ridiculous stories that feel like a mixture of drugs and something lost in translation. Once again, just like Parappa/Lammy. However, the game mechanic is completely different. Basically each stage is some sort of fight, usually against some strange creature, robot, or robot creature. You must use the joystick to properly follow a line, while hitting and releasing the O button at the right time to build strength and attack. Then you must press one of the four action buttons at the right time to block your opponents attack. The game mechanic works very well, and is very fun. But quickly proves to be difficult (I probably just suck at it). The music is great, and catchy, but there are a couple of minor annoyances about the game. First of all it has one of the worst menu interfaces I have ever seen. After saving your game, when you turn the game back on to play, you must go to the options screen and then load data, then go back and click play game. I thought we were past this. This was what we had to do in the PS1 days, then someone came up with auto save, or at the very least “Continue Game” in the main menu. Another thing I hate is that you can’t pause your game. If you press start, the song stops and you can restart it, or exit to the menu. Anyway, fun game, but just not sure if it deserves all the attention. I think it’s just a good game that most people don’t know about, so they force it into cult status. But my friend, this is no classic.