platformer

Super Mario 3D Land Review

Jett2 Comments

Do you have a preferred style of Mario game? Do you prefer the classic 2D Mario games, where you run left to right until you jump onto the flagpole? Or do you prefer the 3D Mario games like Mario 64 and Galaxy, where the primary objective is to collect stars? Ever since the release of Super Mario 64, the 2D and 3D styles of Mario platformers have diverged into their own entities. I’m not saying that people can’t be fans of both, but I think most people prefer one style over the other. With all due respect to the Galaxy series of games and Super Mario 64, which is one of my all-time favourite games, I generally prefer the classic 2D style of Mario games.

Super Mario 3D Land is the first Super Mario game that tries to marry the 2D style and 3D style into one game. Is this game able to please both crowds? Or does it just leave everyone underwhelmed?

Continue reading →

Kirby’s Epic Yarn Review

Jett5 Comments


In a world where most games strive for realism and violence, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a joyful rebellion. Everything about it, from the amazing fabric aesthetic to the way its gameplay has been designed, feels like it was strategically built to keep a smile on your face from beginning to end. I can’t speak for everyone’s experience with Kirby’s Epic Yarn, but it had me grinning the whole way through.

Continue reading →

Early Impressions of de Blob 2

JettLeave a comment

 

The revolution will be televised. Well, the colour revolution, anyway. The sequel to the highly-fun and possibly underrated Wii platformer is back; this time on the Wii, PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360. As a huge fan of the first game, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Though I’m only on level 3 of a possible 11 (that I can see on the world map), I thought I’d share some thoughts on my experiences so far.

Continue reading →

Pick Up Post: de Blob 2

JettLeave a comment

The original de Blob was my surprise game of 2010. Though I was a few years late to the party, this sleeper hit made quite the impact on me. It was by no means a perfect game, but this joyous game was just a pleasure to play. There are very few games I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone of any gaming skill or taste, but de Blob is one of those games. If you have a Wii and have not played this game, you’re missing out.

I’m not sure if de Blob 2 will find (or exceed) the success of the first game, but I did my part and picked up a copy.

Continue reading →

Closing Thoughts on Donkey Kong Country Returns

JettLeave a comment

After wrapping up Donkey Kong Country Returns, many of my original sentiments still rang true. It’s still a great game that surpasses the scope and quality of the original by leaps and bounds. The only real flag I need to wave here is that it gets really difficult.

Continue reading →

Super Mario All-Stars Wii Review

JettLeave a comment

 

I have the best girlfriend ever. I put this on my Christmas list, thinking that this release wouldn’t actually be limited (just like every other supposed limited video game release). Little did I know that this would sell out immediately and go for way more than retail value on the resale circuit. I figured that any chance of me getting this was slim-to-none. To my surprise, I found a copy of this along with my other awesome Christmas presents from her. To ensure that she was able to get this game for Christmas, she actually went to a midnight launch for this game. She ended up scoring the last copy. To quote one of her favourite bands, “If that ain’t love, then I don’t know what love is.”

There may have been a bit of an urge to keep this in mint condition, but I don’t like having games I don’t play. Besides, how can anyone say no to a compilation containing some of the best video games of all-time? I’ve cracked open my copy and I’ll let you know what you get if you score a copy and open it.

Continue reading →

Early Impressions of Donkey Kong Country Returns

JettLeave a comment

 The Donkey Kong Country series used to be a staple of Christmas cheer in my household. I received all three Donkey Kong Country games from Santa on the years they came out. Though I have extra-fond memories of the first one, all three games were pretty good. However, ever since Donkey Kong 64 in the late 90s, DK hasn’t really starred in his own platformer. Instead, he’s spent over a decade starring in spin-off titles and making regular guest appearances in games like Mario Party.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a welcome return to form. Besides being a return to Christmas tradition for me, this game goes back to the series 2D platforming roots. As of writing, I’ve just beaten world 2, but I wanted to share a few thoughts on what I’ve experienced so far.

Continue reading →

Girlfriend Gaming – Hands-On With Kirby’s Epic Yarn

JettLeave a comment

 

I fell in love with Kirby’s Epic Yarn from the moment I saw the debut trailer at E3. The art style and creative gameplay I saw in that trailer really wowed me. The moment after I saw that trailer, I sent pictures and videos over to my girlfriend, who I thought would love it just as much as I did. Turns out, I was wrong.

She had some concerns about how the art style would translate into gameplay. In particular, she thought that the fabric aesthetic might be gimmicky at best and detrimental at worst, especially since you can see through Kirby and many of the other characters. It’s been out for a while now, but we finally got a chance to play it for ourselves.

Continue reading →

Game Design Talk: The Controls of Little Big Planet

JettLeave a comment

It’s been a while since I wrote about Little Big Planet. Since I wrote my initial impressions, I have played a bit of it, but for the most part, I’ve actively avoided it.

For a game that I liked so much to start, things went sour pretty quickly. As I continued to play through the game, it became readily apparent to me that the controls and character physics were not designed to handle this type of action.

Continue reading →

Pick Up Post: Little Big Planet

Jett1 Comment

I know I’m late to the party on this one. With Little Big Planet 2 set to drop in a few weeks, I’m only giving the game a fair shake now. I’ve played it a few times at demo kiosks, but playing it that way hasn’t really grabbed me for some reason. However, now that I’ve been able to start the experience from the beginning and play it as intended, I’m liking it a whole lot more. I haven’t dived into the creation tools or user-created levels yet, but I can talk about my early experiences in the story mode.
Continue reading →