When I heard that Oracles of Ages and Seasons (originally from the Game Boy Color) was coming to the 3DS 3DS eshop I felt it was about time. After all we had Link`s Awakening on the eshop, and a new rerelease of Ocarina of Time on 3DS so why not Oracle. What with a sequel to Link to the Past on its way, as well as the eventual 3dification of Majora`s Mask why not Oracle. Sadly if there is a downside there is no plans to attempt to remake the lost third game of what should have been an Oracle trilogy, and no doubt entirely frivolous and useless things from the original remain intact, much like how the Game Boy Printer content in Link`s Awakening Game Boy Color remains intact despite the fact it is unmistakably useless content on the 3DS version. In this case no doubt it's the Pokemon like trading system that exhausted between the two games, and needs to be entirely revisioned taking into account the 3DS streetpass capacity in order to be even remotely functional.
It's out this month (May) and if you are a Zelda fan you should definitely check it out.
Showing posts with label retro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retro. Show all posts
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Handheld Review : Pokemon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color)
Handheld Review
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Game Boy Color
Recently a PC version of this concept saw the light of day... then promptly fell off the radar of gamers and nobody I know of ever talked of it again. I dont know if it is still active or not, but if by some circumstance it has shut down I wont be surprised. The game seemed unoriginal to me, even for an online PC so called free to play game that, like many games of this type, lives and dies on micro transactions of real cash. In this case micro transactions of real money bought you starter decks and booster packs... yeah, I cant imagine this game still being alive.
Continuing the lack of originality theme we have Pokemon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color, also playable on the GBA SP.
You might think a game like Pokemon Trading Card Game might be original, especially if you played the trading card version of Monster Rancher, also for the Game Boy Color, but then you would be wrong. Right to the most basic story premise the game is a shallow clone of Pokemon Red and Blue. You are this fan of the Pokemon TCG, and thanks to your friend the Professor you are set on the road to earn the Legendary Pokemon cards by beating this game's version of the Elite Four (after earning eight gym badges).
But, you might think, isnt that a good thing? Considering how much gameplay you can squeeze out of even first gen Red and Blue this should be a long and involved game... right? Actually no. The explorable domain is very very small. Dr Mason's lab, the eight Pokemon gyms, a Challenge dome, the home of a high level Pokemon TCG trader and the Pokemon Dome (home of the four grandmasters). And if your wondering? All the gyms and the challenge dome are the same basic design. An entrance room, a waiting room (where you can link with other GBAs for linked battles or where you can find NPC to trade with) and the main gym room. You wont always find all the gym members in this room. In the case of the Fighting Club the members are hanging out in other gyms.
Otherwise that is about it. It is maybe 20 or so hours of gameplay. Not the longest Pokemon you played, and not the shortest but... it is a fair decent slice of gaming. Something for your traveling kit if you have a Pokemon obsession, and you can find probably find it if you look about places like GameTZ or Amazon. A decent middle of the road 3 out of 5. Try it, if you can overlook the game's shortcomings, and enjoy.
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Game Boy Color
Recently a PC version of this concept saw the light of day... then promptly fell off the radar of gamers and nobody I know of ever talked of it again. I dont know if it is still active or not, but if by some circumstance it has shut down I wont be surprised. The game seemed unoriginal to me, even for an online PC so called free to play game that, like many games of this type, lives and dies on micro transactions of real cash. In this case micro transactions of real money bought you starter decks and booster packs... yeah, I cant imagine this game still being alive.
Continuing the lack of originality theme we have Pokemon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color, also playable on the GBA SP.
You might think a game like Pokemon Trading Card Game might be original, especially if you played the trading card version of Monster Rancher, also for the Game Boy Color, but then you would be wrong. Right to the most basic story premise the game is a shallow clone of Pokemon Red and Blue. You are this fan of the Pokemon TCG, and thanks to your friend the Professor you are set on the road to earn the Legendary Pokemon cards by beating this game's version of the Elite Four (after earning eight gym badges).
But, you might think, isnt that a good thing? Considering how much gameplay you can squeeze out of even first gen Red and Blue this should be a long and involved game... right? Actually no. The explorable domain is very very small. Dr Mason's lab, the eight Pokemon gyms, a Challenge dome, the home of a high level Pokemon TCG trader and the Pokemon Dome (home of the four grandmasters). And if your wondering? All the gyms and the challenge dome are the same basic design. An entrance room, a waiting room (where you can link with other GBAs for linked battles or where you can find NPC to trade with) and the main gym room. You wont always find all the gym members in this room. In the case of the Fighting Club the members are hanging out in other gyms.
Otherwise that is about it. It is maybe 20 or so hours of gameplay. Not the longest Pokemon you played, and not the shortest but... it is a fair decent slice of gaming. Something for your traveling kit if you have a Pokemon obsession, and you can find probably find it if you look about places like GameTZ or Amazon. A decent middle of the road 3 out of 5. Try it, if you can overlook the game's shortcomings, and enjoy.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Legend of Zelda : Link's Awakening DX
The first, and one of the greatest Zelda games ever, Link's Awakening is now available from the Virtual Console of the 3DS Shop, most timely given the fact we are now celebrating the Legend of Zelda's 25th Anniversaet... the first yet hopefully not the last we see in terms of Zelda games from the Virtual Console, but more on that shortly.
Link, which kinda reminds me of the Link from the odd rare non Nintendo released Zelda CD games, is shipwrecked on a seemingly time lost little island seperate from the rest of the world. Saved by a girl named Marin, who looks strangely like Zelda, Link is told by a talking owl that the only way to leave the island is to gather eight magical instruments from eight dungeons, and awaken from it's egg the sleeping Wind Fish.
Thus begins one of the greatest Zelda games ever told. Journeying across a nicd sized island domain in classic top down Zelda gaming style you quest to wake the Wind Fish, gathering gear both traditional and premiering for the first time in this game. You have a myriad of people to meet, monsters to slay, dungeons to dive into, many many gear to play with, fantastical bosses to slay (each getting stronger and stronger with each victory), side quests and your first mini game aka the crane game. Lots and lots to do... yes, the game is only 20 to 30 hours depending on your skills, but considering we've fallen in love with games half to 1/3rd shorter than this, aka God of War, 20-30 hours is a ton of gaming.
New to this Game Boy Color version as opposed to what you had in the original Game Boy version is a ninth dungeon, and a camera man to take advantage of the old Game Boy Color gimmick of the printer... wow, show of hands if you remember the old Game Boy Color Printer!
Otherwise it's all here, it's all cool... and it even sports cameos by Yoshi, Princess Peach and Kirby (as an enemy) so where can you go wrong reliving your Game Boy past picking this game off the 3DS Shop! You can't go wrong, you can't! A lovely 5 master swords out of 5!
Now to say that we're happy with just this classic, however, woild be just wrong. Hopefully within a matter if weeks the eshop releases Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages/Seasons from the Game Boy Color era. An oft overlooked rare gem of a Zelda game great for any collection... once Nintendo puts it out on the Virtual Console... but I guess this is a "To Be Continued" topic isn't it... so stay tuned.
Next Review : Crystal Defenders from the Sony PSP
See you Monday!
Link, which kinda reminds me of the Link from the odd rare non Nintendo released Zelda CD games, is shipwrecked on a seemingly time lost little island seperate from the rest of the world. Saved by a girl named Marin, who looks strangely like Zelda, Link is told by a talking owl that the only way to leave the island is to gather eight magical instruments from eight dungeons, and awaken from it's egg the sleeping Wind Fish.
Thus begins one of the greatest Zelda games ever told. Journeying across a nicd sized island domain in classic top down Zelda gaming style you quest to wake the Wind Fish, gathering gear both traditional and premiering for the first time in this game. You have a myriad of people to meet, monsters to slay, dungeons to dive into, many many gear to play with, fantastical bosses to slay (each getting stronger and stronger with each victory), side quests and your first mini game aka the crane game. Lots and lots to do... yes, the game is only 20 to 30 hours depending on your skills, but considering we've fallen in love with games half to 1/3rd shorter than this, aka God of War, 20-30 hours is a ton of gaming.
New to this Game Boy Color version as opposed to what you had in the original Game Boy version is a ninth dungeon, and a camera man to take advantage of the old Game Boy Color gimmick of the printer... wow, show of hands if you remember the old Game Boy Color Printer!
Otherwise it's all here, it's all cool... and it even sports cameos by Yoshi, Princess Peach and Kirby (as an enemy) so where can you go wrong reliving your Game Boy past picking this game off the 3DS Shop! You can't go wrong, you can't! A lovely 5 master swords out of 5!
Now to say that we're happy with just this classic, however, woild be just wrong. Hopefully within a matter if weeks the eshop releases Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages/Seasons from the Game Boy Color era. An oft overlooked rare gem of a Zelda game great for any collection... once Nintendo puts it out on the Virtual Console... but I guess this is a "To Be Continued" topic isn't it... so stay tuned.
Next Review : Crystal Defenders from the Sony PSP
See you Monday!
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