WIPR - InXile's The Bard`s Tale

Probably the biggest review on the Kindle Fire HD I am presently working on, it is also probably the most disappointing as well. Layered with a rather pretty coat of HD, The Bard's Tale is a pretty good port of the PS2 era The Bard's Tale game... the problem I'd that it is a port of the PS2 era The Bard's Tale game... wait a minute, wasn't there supposed to be extra in this tablet release? I have to shake this down a bit for that.

But the longest part of this I'd playing through the game for the review, which I s hindered by the control setup which features a rather fussy virtual analog stick that frustrates me so, in a game that should have utilized a touch screen control schematic akin to certain 3DS (and no doubt PSVita) games.

Don't get me wrong, I gave the PS2 era The Bard's Tale a good score, and this is a good game but... I have issues with this game. And ad I dig into it more I will post my notes on the coming review for you to check out... stay tuned.

Upcoming Reviews

Let's see what is coming up shortly content wise... darn internet keeps going out making it a hassle to add content the past few days.

Game Boy (Color)
Off Topic Review - Monster Rancher Explorer
More of a puzzler in the vein of Solomon`s Key than an RPG, this is a nice change of pace from past games reviewed both on Game Boy Color and the PS2, so why not.

Game Boy Advance
(I need to get a few new GBA games to review)

Nintendo DS
Dragon Quest IX Sentinels of the Starry Skies
I kinda like this one... but I have been grinding this for hours and I have some gripes with this. It's nothing like Dragon Quest VII (my first DS review of a Dragon Quest game) and that is kinda a good and bad thing to me. Review upcoming.

Nintendo 3DS
I will check out the Etrian Oddssey demo first off.

Well reviews coming soon, stay tuned.

Minor Android Tablet Review : Glu`s Tavern Quest

Presently the only Cafe World like game I am recommending, as well as the only Glu game at present, Tavern Quest takes the usual running a Cafe game and innovates it by adding a limited RPG aspect to the game that is reflected in a few ways. Not a full out RPG, yes, but one if those games that offer a light slice of RPG and a bit of casual for a curiously enjoyable experience.

You play the role of a Dragon (who strangely looks like a older version of Spike) who doesn't want to do Dragon stuff, but instead want to run your own tavern. However monsters are bullying you, so you hire heroes to work for you, taking out the monsters bounty hunter style (you have a list of monsters increasing in difficulty from green to blue to red that you send three heroes to take out, a fighter and a ranged attacker and a healer).

Recruiting heroes is simple. First you buy the flag needed to attract them to your tavern, which you fI nd in the game store. Once you attract them you have to recruit them, but instead of paying them in gold you pay them in food. As heroes come in each has a voice bubble with a specific ingredient they want.Clicking in the hero states exactly how many servings you need to give him/her in order to recruit them. All you have to do is have the right food, with the right ingredient, with x servings in order to recruit them. You can add ingredients to recipes (which you earn over time collecting from said flags randomly as they play a part I n generating income for your tavern) as well as speed up completing recipes with Glu credits... which, by the way,is the easiest Premium currency I ever earned in a game. Unlike other games where the game is very stingy with Premium currency this one is rather generous with it in comparison. Sure you still have to grind like crazy to unlock 3 class flags but you feel as if it is an accomplishable task, a rarity with Premium currency.

My biggest problem with the game us while it is rather fun, mixing elements of diner SIM and RPG, it suffers from being rather finite. You can level up your heroes, but they quickly max out at 10. You can level up your tavern so it can hold more heroes but eventually that had limits. You can level up your recipes... as much good that is as you don't seem to have any differences between a one star and five star recipe from what I can see of it... but eventually you max them all out and you don't seem capable of earning New recipes aft e r a certain point. So the game is great, but eventually runs out if steam. I hope I am wrong, and that something surprising happens when I max out a row if recipes but... I am not holding my breath in that.  What this game needs is expandable dlc content to keep it going... not going to happen, but that would be nice.

All in all even with its finite lifespan it is still pretty fun. Nicely done graphics wise, a nice though small taste of SIM meet RPG, for a quick play on the bus or between stuff it's pretty recommendable. Limited but enjoyable. A 3 out of 5.

Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages and Seasons coming to 3DS

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.

Waiting to Recharge 5/12

Unlike other blogs with game themes this is rather... focused. So I have a mix of sources to draw from every week review-wise. So let's see... this coming week...

Nintendo
Game Boy (Color) - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets GBC
The rare RPG in the Harry Potter gaming library
Game Boy (Color) - Final Fantasy Legend 3
Doubling up this week.
DS - Dragon Quest IX Sentinels of the Starry Skies
3DS - Monster Hunter Ultimate 3 Demo

Most of these are also appearing on Nintendopoly, except FFL 3, which is unique to here.

Tablet
Tavern Quest
A RPG in the most minimal of content, yet still recommended all the same. One part Cafe World tycoon SIM and one part minor RPG, Tavern Quest is a decently engaging free to play worth checking out... I will tell you why soon.

That is the review schedule, and knock on wood I am sticking to it. Stay tuned.

OK. Time to get to work.

Getting back on track

Sorry for the long delay, but working on getting back on track worldwide.

First step is getting my hands on a used laptop for working on podcasts. Something that is presently a work in progress.

Part of my summer schedule is getting podcasts back on track. That means posting related episodes of 3DS Addict, Antisocial Gamer, Pocket Gamer and Wii Life in relations to RPG and Strategy gaming.

First thing first, getting back on track to posting daily content. Stay tuned.

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.