To make something fresh, you don’t always have to start from scratch. Sometimes you can take something that’s very well established and simply put it in an entirely different context. Suddenly, what is old becomes new again.

This is something Aliens Infestation does in more ways than one. In it, you’ll find a combination of many things. While the most pronounced is its Metroid “Lite” structure, it also borrows elements from cover based shooters and even has a tinge of survival horror. Everything comes together to form a game with its own strong identity, never feeling like a clone of any of the games it takes inspiration from.

You’ll start with four marines tasked with exploring the Sulaco, but these four might not be the ones who make it out alive. Every marine that dies is dead for good. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to beat the entire game with only four lives. There are fifteen additional marines scattered around the map who, provided you don’t already have a full party, will join you in a heartbeat.

Each marine plays the same, but has their own unique dialogue and personality that make you want to keep them alive. Sure, some of them are meat-heads that are hard to care about (and will probably end up being used as boss fodder), but others are more quirky and endearing like the cowardly rookie, the man cursed with luck, the toothless old man, and Bonesaw (no, not that Bonesaw).

As if this system of living, breathing, extra lives wasn’t interesting enough, marines can also be captured instead of killed when their health is depleted. They’re then marked on the map and you have a very limited time to reach a xenomorph nest to save them before they’re gone for good.

This sense of urgency works very well with the game’s high tension. You aren’t super soldiers. Xenomorphs are much faster than you, even when you use your depletable stamina gauge to run as fast as you can. And the more you run, the more likely you are to encounter packs of enemies simultaneously, which is exponentially more dangerous than taking it slow and fighting enemies one by one.

But while the tension feels expertly crafted in the earlier moments of Aliens Infestation, more powerful (and upgradable) weapons and increased familiarity with the limited types of enemies and their spawn patterns diminish it somewhat. Walking forward slowly is far more effective than it should be as most enemies take a second to jump out at you allowing you to fire first. You’ll never get to a point where you can run and plow through aliens without a care, but the sense of dread as you explore during the game’s later portions is definitely lower than it could have been.

Despite its 2D presentation, there is a cover system with blind fire, though you’ll likely only use it when fighting human enemies. But it’s the use of limited ammo and having to reload clips that really help the game to differentiate itself from the average run and gun. It’s odd to think of something as simple as having to reload as an interesting mechanic, but in the context of a 2D game it feels new and even terrifying as you find that your incredibly slow shotgun is completely empty after noticing an enemy dropping down from the ceiling.

You’ll never find the same level of openness as a Metroid game here, but you will find a handful of things to help you reach new areas including various key cards, a wrench, and the keys to the Power Loader to name a few. New weapons on the other hand exist almost exclusively for their killing power, with the exception of the flamethrower which allows you to burn off the alien resin covering certain doors. Paths aren’t exactly hidden, so if you’re even moderately persistent in your exploration, you’re likely to obtain 100% completion like I did (something I almost never accomplish in Metroid games).

Bosses are an unfortunate low point. Each consists of a giant bullet sponge hell bent on performing annoyingly repetitive attack patterns. What should have been a much needed crescendo feels more like a chore. Luckily, boss fights make up a very small portion of the game.

Aliens Infestation earns its spot in the list of licensed games done right. A few rough edges hold it back from being an instant classic and it can be completed rather quickly, but what’s there is a game that manages to feel unique despite what it borrows from other titles. Don’t let the fact that it’s “last gen” stop you from enjoying this successful blend of retro and modern ideas.

This review is based on a copy of Aliens Infestation purchased by the reviewer.

XSEED just announced the grand opening of their online store. Aside from individual bonus items, you can also purchase copies of various XSEED games including Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, several Ys games (both in limited and standard editions), Little King’s Story, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, and more.

Curiously, there’s no sign of either Retro Game Challenge or the recently released Solatorobo: Red the Hunter at this time, but given that the store just went live that could change. While shipping is already included in the prices, there is a $20 minimum per order. Of course, most of the games are $20 anyway, but if you were just looking to get one of those fancy schmancy cloth maps, you’ll have to throw something else onto the order.

Source: XSEED

"This is the face of your DOOM!"

“Tales From the Backlog” is a series of articles in which WingDamage Editor-in-Chief, Jonah Gregory, finally gets around to playing through the many games he has collected throughout the years.

It isn’t often when a game comes along that pushes all the right nostalgia buttons. Everything I had heard and seen about Retro Game Challenge should have made me run out and buy the game on day one. Jesse even gave it a good review. I know, I’m part of the problem in this case and not the solution.

As part of my attempt to catch up on the awesome games I’ve missed over the years, I knew I had to remedy this situation. Fortunately, Amazon still carried Retro Game Challenge, as it seems to have disappeared from most store shelves.

I’m not sure how gaming is for kids growing up now, when they can hop on the internet on any given console and start tearing it up with people half way across the world. When I was growing up in the 80′s, and even into the mid 90′s, we would sit on the couch or floor and pass the controller back and forth. This was what we considered playing co-op through a game. It was so rare that a game actually allowed for simultaneous play that we never relied on it being there.

I bring this up only to point out one of the things that really struck a chord with me about Retro Game Challenge. You (as a child, since you were teleported back to the 80′s) and the child version of the game’s “villain” Arino (comedian and host of “GameCenter CX”) sit on the floor of Arino’s rec room playing through the various retro outings. They even address the passing the controller back and forth phenomenon, but Arino claims to not be very good at the games, so he let’s you play. While you are in games, he shouts encouragement or voices his disappointed, depending on how well you are playing.

A core aspect of the game are it’s titular challenges. These are also very similar to the types of things we would do when gaming with friends. “I bet you can’t play through Mario 1-1 in under 30 seconds!” “Try to get past this level with the controller upside down!”

OK, so most of the challenges here aren’t quite that crazy, but they are the kind of things we used to do with our games. When you only have a couple of cartridges for your system, you start to get creative to keep things fresh. Oddly enough, the challenges are the weakest part of Retro Game Challenge.

"Star Prince (left) & Robot Ninja Haggle Man 3 (right)"

The real point to buying Retro Game Challenge isn’t the challenges at all. While some are creative and fun, others start to get tedious. Since nearly all of them make you start the whole game over, a good sense of progression is all but lost. The real point is that your little DS cartridge contains several brand new games in the retro style, most of which are well thought out and really fun to play, all of which are available for free play once you’ve completed that game’s challenges.

From the Galaga inspired Cosmic Gate to the Ninja Gaiden meets open map structure Robot Ninja Haggle Man 3, it is packed with amazing gaming experiences. Even without all the fun little touches of real world inspired gaming magazines you can leaf through and secret codes you can type in on pause screens, Retro Game Challenge would be a fantastic collection of nostalgia fuel goodness.

Retro Game Challenge did a fantastic job of transporting me back to my old gaming days. Anyone with a DS should seek it out and give it a try.

More “Tales From the Backlog”:

#1 – Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

#2 – Retro Game Challenge (Nintendo DS)

#3 – Mega Man Legends (PS1)

It turns out Monster Tale has absolutely nothing to do with Monster Hunter, but it’s still a really good game.

Monster Tale is a 2D platformer, specifically a Metroi…cast…roidio…vani… one of those games where all the areas are interconnected. It’s developed by DreamRift, a studio born from the Henry Hatsworth developers. It tells the story of Ellie, a young girl who finds a mysterious bracelet that transports her to the Monster World. She runs into a newly hatched monster that follows after her, and names him Chomp. She then journeys to find a way back home, though she’s obstructed by other kids who’ve come to the Monster World and taken over, and now refuse to return.

You play the game as Ellie, while Chomp operates like a familiar from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and acts of his own accord most of the time. Ellie has short ranged melee attacks which can be executed with Y, and can fire projectiles from her bracelet with A (which consumes energy). With jumping set as B, this scheme may seem wonky to platforming aficionados, but you get used to it fairly quick. Ellie gains more abilities as she finds runes from statues (very much like in Metroid), like executing melee combo chains, ground pounding, firing more powerful bracelet blasts, and wall kicking. All of these are crucial to opening up additional areas, as well as giving Ellie more options when combat heats up.

Meanwhile, Chomp enjoys the game’s RPG-geared elements. Chomp can either be on the top screen or bottom screen. The bottom screen is his “rest area,” and the various items you pick up from beating enemies are sent here. Items include things like food, toys, books, and other gadgets, which each take Chomp a bit of time to consume or otherwise use. When items are “consumed” they give Chomp experience as well as stat boosts depending on what the item is. When Chomp is summoned to the top screen, he will automatically follow Ellie and attack enemies (which also grants experience). Chomp will also learn attacks which you can assign to L and R and use at will.

While on the top screen, Chomp’s energy gradually decreases, and will also decrease when you use his special attacks or when Chomp takes damage. You can send him back to the bottom screen to recharge, though if he gets knocked out he’ll just be sent back and become unresponsive until his energy recharges fully.

"Monster rave!"

As you might expect, Chomp levels up as he gains experience, and gaining levels will let Chomp learn new attacks and other assignable traits like stat boosts or elemental affinities. But making things much more interesting, leveling up Chomp also unlocks new forms for you to use. Each new form starts back at level 1 and has a different distribution of base stats. Forms are also elementally based in either fire, water, or earth (a common chain if you’ve played Pokémon). Leveling up these forms will let Chomp learn attacks and traits related to them, as well as unlock additional forms down the tree. What’s more, while Chomp starts with the “child tree” of forms, the game will also open teenage and adult forms as you progress, creating many more assist possibilities for Ellie.

You may want to play a little with each form and see what abilities they will learn. Leveling a form more, however, will let you master their abilities. Abilities that are mastered can be used with any form. You have to be careful, though, since each form caps at level 30. If there are still more forms down the chain yet to be unlocked when you hit 30, so far as I can tell it makes it extremely hard or even impossible to unlock them. I found this out the hard way.

To be honest, most of Chomp’s possibilities are fine since Ellie can kick a lot of butt in her own right. Once you learn the combo chain and upward bash, you’ll be juggling enemies in the air with painful blows, even after they’re defeated. This is key, since the longer you can keep bashing an enemy without it falling, the more money and items are likely to spill out of them. And really, juggling enemies is just a lot of fun, though it can leave you vulnerable to attack if you’re not careful.

"Even on the bottom screen, Chomp stays pretty content."

As mentioned before, Monster Tale is designed with an open world in mind. The world is split into five kingdoms, each of which are split into two or three unique regions. Some of the areas are from the typical platformer environs, while others are pretty unique, such as a wind swept wheat field with large, toy windmills. Also, a monster dance club. While the game is an open world, there isn’t very much in the way of exploration. Every path leads to a new power up, which in turns leads you to the next power up, and your next destination is always marked on the map. Furthermore, the game has you backtracking quite a bit just to progress. Even when you’re waist deep in the adventure, you’ll find yourself continuing to traverse back and forth across areas near the game’s beginning.

Areas are also dotted with the typical save rooms, as well as rooms where you run into a shopkeeper character. He will offer items that increase Ellie’s health and attack damage and so forth, as well as items for Chomp to consume. This is helpful since many of Chomp’s forms have preference to specific items.

Monster Tale is also pretty strong in the audio department. The sound effects are fitting, and really add a sense of physicality to Ellie beating down enemies. The music is pretty catchy, and upbeat where it needs to be. The variety of different lands allows the game to offer a good mix of styles, but most are still suited to an action platformer. Monster Tale also features small bits of voice acting, which don’t come off quite as well. Ellie’s sound bites lack consistency. Sometimes she sounds like a young girl, while other times she sounds like a mature woman. The other kids are also pretty cliché in character and have quips that are pretty corny. Some of them still do have their charm though, like the nerdy kit who attacks and yells “Blast processing!”

"Ellie still comes off as more manly than Alucard."

I’ve gone on record numerous times saying that the only developers who can still make worthwhile platformers are those who were there during the arcade era. But I always give credit where it’s due, and DreamRift has made a very solid and very enjoyable game with Monster Tale. It’s a little rough in places, especially with world design and all the backtracking. It’s a little on the short side, but the mechanics are pretty spot on and the world is fun to experience nevertheless.

I’m pretty sure Monster Tale will fall into obscurity being released by a developer that’s not well known and coming out so close to the release of the Nintendo 3DS. Some have even called it the DS’s Shantae. But I will say one thing; I know a number of people who are presently still not too confident in picking up a 3DS with its selection of launch titles. If you’re one of those people, I think Monster Tale is a great choice for you. It’s definitely fun and a lot cheaper than jumping into new hardware. And if you do finally get a 3DS, the game still looks and plays pretty good on it.

This review is based on a copy of Monster Tale purchased by the reviewer.

Much like the increase in digital distribution over physical media, the injection of smartphones into the portable gaming ecosystem has quickly caused many to declare dedicated portable game systems officially dead. But is that really so?

I believe that each platform has its strengths and weaknesses. They can… no, they SHOULD coexist. To get rid of dedicated portable game systems in favor of touch screen phones would be to force an unnecessary limitation on ourselves.

More Than Just Making Calls

Smartphones have provided us with a wealth of interesting game types at a fraction of the cost of retail games. Anywhere from $10 to as low as 99 cents can buy you a game that you might spend countless hours with. And with very little barrier to entry, many indie developers have managed to get more exposure than ever before.

Similar to the DS, the touch screen common on smartphones has allowed developers to explore unique control schemes and innovative new game types. While there’s certainly a lot of dregs to wade through (something true of all platforms), there are undoubtedly some quality games to find for those who take the time to look.

You’ve Got the Touch

While there are alternate control methods (such as tilt controls), devices like the iPhone primarily use the touch screen. When games are designed with touch control in mind, it can be a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out that way.

Many games make use of a “virtual joystick” controlled by sliding your thumb around the screen. Generally, this only works for games that don’t require any kind of precision.

I recently played the iPhone version of NBA Jam. The virtual stick works adequately, but I became frustrated when I accidentally moved my thumb a bit too far and my character came to an abrupt stop. It’s sloppy, but it was one of the better experiences I came across.

The iPhone version of Mega Man 2 on the other hand is almost unplayable. I consider it to be one of the easiest classic Mega Man games and I’ve beaten it a ridiculous number of times, but on the iPhone I was in trouble. For action platformers, a virtual joystick just isn’t up to the task.

Fighting games don’t fare much better. While I was impressed that a version of Street Fighter IV works at all on a phone, it felt like nothing more than a short lived novelty in comparison to the real version. The amount of buttons had to be drastically reduced cutting the game’s depth considerably and the virtual joystick input is downright laughable for any kind of serious play.

"You get what you pay for."

You could argue that the iPhone version is a fraction of the cost of the upcoming 3DS version. But to be brutally honest, I would rather pay more for the game that actually works.

“But You Don’t Need Those Games To Be Portable!”

Inevitably, this is where the same argument comes up. I’m told that there are so many games in genres that do work well on smartphones that I shouldn’t care about the genres that don’t. These genres work better on consoles anyway, so I should only play them there.

Would you also tell me I shouldn’t listen to drum ‘n bass on my earbud headphones because my home stereo could do it better? Would you tell me that there are so many good soft rock songs that I shouldn’t care about listening to drum ‘n bass when I’m away from home? I hope not, because I would probably have to smack you.

The point is that sometimes I am in the mood for specific game types. No amount of other genres will scratch that proverbial itch.

Not Just For Short Bursts

Another remark I often hear is that if a portable game does provide a console-level experience full of deeper, more engrossing gameplay, than it has failed as a portable game. The logic here is that portable gaming is only good in short bursts.

Certainly, being able to quit anytime is important. But the DS goes into sleep mode when closed and the PSP sleeps when you flick the power switch. These are functions that are standard with every game, regardless of genre and it’s reasonable to assume the next iterations will do the same.

But are short bursts, such as while waiting in line while grabbing a bite to eat, the only time people play games? According to EA’s Vice President of Mobile Worldwide studios, Travis Boatman, users play mobile games at home 47% of the time.

Why would somebody play a portable game at home when they could play a console (aside from the 7% spent on the toilet)? Speaking from my own personal experience, there are many reasons to play a portable gaming device (whether it be a phone or dedicated system) over a console.

"The ridiculously long lines found at conventions are just one of the many situations where extended portable gaming sessions happen."

When multitasking for example. I recently reformatted my desktop computer and had to reinstall a large number of programs. My computer isn’t located near my consoles, so I got in a lot of quality “DS time” while occasionally pausing to swap discs or click OK on the next prompt.

My consoles are in a pretty secluded area of my room. Sometimes I want to be around where the rest of my housemates are, in the shared living room area, so that I can converse while relaxing and playing games. Moving my consoles to this area is out of the question.

I also know multiple people whose only means of gaming are portable devices. This can happen for various reasons, whether it be that portables games are often cheaper than console games or that the rest of their household uses the only available TV so much that consoles are not a practical option for them. Yet they still want to play new games, some of which require more than a touch screen or tilt controls in order to work well.

Never Overgeneralize

To say that there’s no place any more for dedicated portable game systems is to say that people like myself or my friends don’t exist. The fact of the matter is, people have a variety of different situations in life. You might not ever feel the urge to play a dedicated portable game system, but not everybody is in your situation or shares your taste in gaming.

It’s best not to use broad, sweeping statements to describe portable gaming habits. The reality of the situation if far more complex than that. I can’t speak for the distant future, but as of right now, there are plenty of reasons for people to game both on smartphones AND dedicated portable game systems, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

It’s that time of year. You know, the time when your wallet begs you for mercy? Yes, as the last quarter of 2010 comes, so does the deluge of new releases. But have no fear, WingDamage is here to help you remember which games are coming out for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. Let the insanity begin!

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS) [Hands-On Impressions]

“Dormant for seven years, the Golden Sun series finally makes a return with Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. The long awaited sequel continues the story 30 years after the first games. Utilizing graphical tricks like its predecessors, Dark Dawn’s battles are an impressive spectacle. Plenty of environmental puzzles are found in the dungeons and characters have a wealth of abilities at their disposal. Classic RPG lovers won’t want to miss it.” -Jesse

Z.H.P. Darkdeath Evilman vs. Unlosing Ranger (PSP)

“From the makers of Disgaea comes a game that sounds equally as absurd. In Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs Darkdeath Evilman, you stand in for the real hero who was just hit by a car. You can modify your hero by swapping out tons of body parts as you explore randomly generated dungeons. Drills for arms? Wheels for legs? Why not? It’s up to you to choose what parts to use as you travel across Bizarro Earth.” -Jesse

Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light (DS)

“From the people that brought us the remakes of Final Fantasy III and IV and the Steam Punk world of Nostaliga comes an all new Final Fantasy. But, while The 4 Heroes of Light is a new title, it’s described by its producer as “a classic fantasy RPG using today’s technology”. Battles are turn based with characters abilities determined by their assigned job. The “charge” system replaces traditional MP for an experience that feels both fresh and nostalgic all at the same time.” -Jesse

God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PSP)

“You’ve completely finished Kingdom Hearts and Persona 3 and your PSP is beginning to gather dust as it sits on your shelf looking up at you longingly, as you play with your PS3. GOW will be the best reason to pull the old PSP out of retirement for one more blood-soaked go round.

I got a chance to play the demo at PAX and it was every bit as epic and violent as we’ve all come to expect from Kratos. Those of you interested in the story will get some minor plot points cleared up and those of you like me who just enjoy tearing the heads off of mythological creatures will get your fill of that as well.” -Dave

James Bond: Goldeneye 007 (DS)

“While Goldeneye might not hold up as well today as some would like to believe, there’s no question that it blew up the FPS genre on consoles. Who hasn’t played the multiplayer modes to death back in the day?

Rather than upres the now dated game, this new re-imaging attempts to examine what concepts made the original so enjoyable. Retaining aspects like a ridiculous number of multiplayer modes and modifiers that can be combined, Goldeneye 007 looks to morph a classic into a modern game to bring the best of both worlds. It will be interesting to see if they can pull it off.” -Jesse

Split/Second (PSP) [Review of Console Version]

“Split/Second is one of the most exciting racing games I’ve played in some time. Now they’re bringing it to PSP so you can play anywhere. Split/Second gives you all the excitement of a weapons-based racer without any of the frustrating random chance. The environment is your weapon and it takes skill to use effectively.

Trading away realism for fun, Split/Second exaggerates all its aspects, letting you perform huge drifts and drafts. The environmental mechanics combined with a slew of unique game modes make Split/Second feel fresh and sets it apart from other racers.” -Jesse

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS)

“In 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors you control Junpei, a college student who suddenly awakens locked up on an old cruiser with eight strangers. Through a combination of interacting with the other characters to alter the story and solving puzzles to progress it, you must escape your prison. But it’s not just your life on the line. If you fail to solve puzzles, other characters can die. The tension is on in 999!” -Jesse

Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals (DS)

“Rather than making another DS remake of a SNES RPG, Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals takes and old classic and makes it new again. All the characters have been redesigned and the gameplay is completely different from Lufia II, ditching the old turn-based combat for an action system. While fighting, you can actually switch to different characters mid-combo. It will be a new experience for both fans of the original and newcomers alike.” -Jesse

Golden Sun is one of those series’ that, while I enjoyed what I played of it, I completely forgot it existed; that is until Golden Sun: Dark Dawn was announced for the DS at 2009′s E3. Then I quickly forgot about it again until I finally got my hands on the title at this year’s Penny Arcade Expo (PAX).

There were two demo’s available on the show floor. One concentrated on the adventure elements while the other focused on the battle system. I played the battle system demo to completion, so I will start there.

The first thing I noticed during the battle demo was the graphics. Much like how the GBA Golden Sun games used tricks to make sprites look like they were on a 3D plane, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn uses tricks to squeeze extra power out of the DS.

The ground characters stand on is a 3D plane, but it blends near-seamlessly into a map painting that makes up the background. Games like the remake of Final Fantasy IV have shown that the DS often struggles to render a full 3D battle arena and the characters inside it. The map painting allows two things: a sharp and detailed background and extra power to devote to rendering the characters and their attacks.

The characters aren’t “chibified” in battle (though they are on the field), they have normal proportions. They also have a reasonable amount of detail. Combine this with lots of dynamic camera angles that change depending on what’s happening and you have a really slick looking game.

The battle system is completely turn-based. Nintendo doesn’t seem to have added any real-time elements. This might turn off some, but I couldn’t be happier. Truly turn-based RPGs are a dying breed outside of Dragon Quest afterall, and I prefer them.

I’m not sure how the skill progression will play out, but each character in the demo had a surprisingly large number of skills. Some of these affected single enemies while others hit the surrounding ones as well. Unlike Dragon Quest (which I’ve had on the brain lately thanks to IX), these enemies don’t have to be the same type, they just have to be adjacent to each other.

Aside from the normal magic abilities, Djinn make a comeback. Each character has their own unique set of Djinn abilities that have consistent elemental affinities (fire, water, etc.) within the set. Some of the Djinn abilities are attacks while others are stat boosting support skills. They seemed to be as varied as the normal magic.

To keep things balanced, you only seem to be able to use each Djinn once in a battle. Once you’ve used multiple Djinn of the same element, you can spend that built up energy to do a full-on summon. These are impressive, cinematic abilities rendered in-engine. While they look great, I can’t confirm whether or not they’re skippable.

The scale and implementation of these summons remind me of the Final Fantasy series, but the designs of the summoned creatures do not. My biggest worry is a problem I had with one of the earlier Golden Sun games. Will the battles rely too heavily on repeated use of Djinn and summons and not enough on the characters’ own abilities? It will be hard to tell until the full game releases.

After beating all the battles, I was awarded with the opportunity to explore a town. The town avoided the standard layout of a flat plane with rectangular buildings on it. Instead, buildings were built into a cliffside, creating a very interesting layout that required entering through certain buildings to access parts of the town.

During the adventure demo, field magic was showcased. Abilities allow you to push blocks from afar with telekinesis, set fire to fuses, and so on. It will be interesting to see how these abilities are implemented into the dungeon’s puzzles.

I walked away from Golden Sun: Dark Dawn impressed. Hopefully, that impression will allow me to remember the series exists when the full game hits shelves.

I’m of the opinion that kids games shouldn’t be garbage.

Just because a game is licensed or made for kids, this should not be used as an excuse to shove shoddy, unfinished games out the door. More often than not, short development cycles thwart any attempt to make a licensed game good, because much of the sales come from hitting the shelves at the same time as the movie a game is based off of.

That’s why I was happy to see that Toy Story 3 felt like a real game.

You would expect the game to simply follow the story of the movie. While it does to a degree, it is much more clever about it than the usual licensed game. If you’ve seen the Toy Story movies, you are familiar with the “imagination” sequences. Rather than seeing the world as it is (a child playing with his toys), we see what he is imagining is going on.

Several of the levels in the main story mode fall under this. As Woody the cowboy, you make your way along a train to stop an evil pig in his space ship (this is supposed to be a young boy’s imagination, remember). As Buzz Lightyear, you are on a mission to stop the evil Zurg in a level that feels straight out of Ratchet and Clank. These are easily the most visually interesting levels in the story mode.

The “real world” areas keep things interesting with a mechanic reminiscent of The Lost Vikings. You switch between three characters, each with their own special ability that lets you solve the puzzles presented in the level. Buzz has the strength to throw his companions farther (and aim better), Jessie can stand on objects too small for the others, and Woody can use his pull cord to lasso and swing across wide gaps.

Getting through the story is pretty easy, though younger players might need some help on a few of the trickier parts. There is a mechanic built into certain areas where if you fail enough times, something will change to make it easier. The only example I found was in the Buzz level. In a sequence that involved a fairly complex platforming puzzle, a set of easier platforms eventually appeared after failing it a couple of times. I was unable to determine if this type of thing occurred in other sections of the game or not, as this was the only time it came up for me.

Each level is filled will collectibles, which adds to the replay value. The collectibles go towards unlocking characters and items for what feels much more like the main mode of Toy Story 3, Woody’s Roundup.

In Woody’s Roundup mode, you play fully in the imagination world. You choose Buzz, Woody or Jessie, none of which carry over their moves from the story mode. It’s really just down to personal preference at that point.

This mode of Toy Story 3 is a sandbox game. You are given tons of quests from various characters throughout the town, and most can be done in whatever order you choose. Or if you prefer, you can completely ignore all of that and spend your time searching for collectibles, re-painting the town, dressing up townsfolk, or riding around on your trusty horse, Bullseye. This mode even has a drop-in, drop-out split screen so two people can play off of one console simultaneously.

While the difficulty curve is a little steep in a few sections of the story mode, Woody’s Roundup makes up for it with its open gameplay. Most kids will be much more attracted to this mode of play than the rigid structure of the story mode.

There is plenty to do and see, and more collectibles than you’ll know what to do with.

As far as kids games go, this is one of the best ones I’ve played this generation outside of the Lego games. If you have kids, especially ones into the Toy Story films, you should definitely give Toy Story 3 a chance.

This review is based on the retail version of Toy Story 3 for the Xbox 360 rented by the reviewer from Gamefly.

When Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies came out a few weekends ago, everyone in my household played their respective copies non-stop for the first two days. Everything was going great at first, but then I started to get a horrible headache.

I started to notice that my hands were killing me. I realized that I was squinting the entire time I was playing, and the small size of the console was increasingly uncomfortable in my hands.

It was time to give in, admit that I am an old man, and grab a Nintendo DSi XL.

I’ve had the DSi XL for about a week now. I have noticed the soreness in my hands has started to go back to its normal levels caused by working a day job of web development.

I have pretty bad eyesight, and the advertised “93% Larger Screen!” was one of the things that intrigued me about the system in the first place. The resolution is obviously the same as the regular DS and DSi, so the images are just being stretched to the larger screen size. Because of this, it can sometimes make things, particularly text, look a little blurry. The only time it is really noticeable is on the DSi’s standard welcome screen where there is a lot of white. I never noticed it during gameplay.

I tried out Dragon Quest IX first, since it was the game that motivated me to buy the console. The use of 3D within the game already has some jaggies, and they were even more apparent on the larger screen. The game by no means looks bad. It’s probably the best use of 3D graphics on the DS so far.

Next I put in New Super Mario Bros., and was pleasantly surprised to see that its graphics look just as smooth as when I played it on my DS. The larger screen had no ill-effect on that games aesthetics. Finally, I tried Contra 4. The sprite work looks fantastic on the larger screen.

The buttons on the XL are the same size and just as responsive as on its smaller counterparts, but having them spaced apart was much more comfortable for me, especially in the high level of action that Contra provided. Also, I could finally see those damn bullets!

The buttons feel a lot more clicky than on my DS Lite. This is nice, as I am a big fan of having tactile feedback in my games (suck it, Apple’s hatred of real buttons). They are easy to press down, so finger fatigue has not been an issue either.

The DSi XL cameras are still about as good as your standard cell phone. So, not great. The best use of the DSi cameras so far has been Photo Dojo, which you should go buy if you have any version of the DSi.

The DSi XL comes pre-loaded with a few pieces of software. The webbrowser (which is still the terrible Opera browser), a clock, and a couple of brain training games. These are Brain Age Express: Math and Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters. Just like their retail counterparts, they are more of little math and word puzzles designed to get your brain working more than they are standard games. This goes along with the fact that the XL line was designed for older gamers. It is also the reason they come in Burgundy and Bronze (aka poop brown). Sure, there is a young hip blue color, but that defeats the purpose.

All in all, the DSi XL is a solid device. It is likely a little too large for younger players, but if you are like me and are getting into your thirties, you might want to consider it over it’s smaller counterparts.

THE UNBOXENING!! Photos:

Compared to the standard DSi

I’m sure you’ve already heard the Puzzle Quest games described as “Bejewelled with hit points”. It is a pretty base statement, but not entirely untrue. Puzzle Quest 2 continues the tradition of adding role playing elements to a match-3 puzzle game, but this newest version does a few things that make it more enjoyable than its predecessors.

At the start of the game, you once again pick a character class from a stable of role playing standards. As you would expect, the class determines your character’s strengths and weaknesses, and which equipment they can use. While I found the original game to be overbalanced in favor of the warrior classes, Puzzle Quest 2 seems to have improved its balance throughout the experience.

Your weapons and armor do more than give passive stats in this iteration. They are now usable in battles by collecting action points in the form of gauntlets on the battle field. You still match skulls to do basic damage, but I found myself relying much more on my weapons and spells this time around. It adds an extra layer of strategy to the battle system and makes it a heck of a lot less frustrating.

The battles themselves also seemed to have been greatly balanced over the first. I found the original to be incredibly frustrating after getting a few hours in. The AI opponents seemed to always know what blocks were about to fall from off screen, and would often magically set up completely unpredictable (to a human player) combos that were impossible to defend against. But the sequel fixes this.

The drops in Puzzle Quest 2 also feel a lot better. I found it much less frequent to see a single move produce a dozen or more combos from off-screen drops. That was a huge annoyance in the first game, and it seems to have been corrected for the sequel.

I also prefer this game’s more intimate take on the overworld. Instead of a map with tiny icons representing your character, various kingdoms, and monsters, you are actually at the human level via an isometric view of the surrounding area. Sure, it’s a cosmetic touch, but it has a much better feel than before. You actually get the sense that these characters exist in some sort of world, rather than as dots on a map.

As you would expect in an RPG, you will buy, sell, and find new gear. My main gripe with Puzzle Quest 2 is that when you are given a choice between gear from defeating a monster, you can’t compare the stats to what you already have equipped. Unless you have kept a detailed log of your equipment, you’ll find yourself guessing at what you should take.

There is also a built in hint system. In theory, it will suggest a move if you are taking to long to make a match. What I found would often happen is that it would immediately start pointing to a potential move, like an excited younger sibling pointing at the screen and going “Oooh, oooh!”. It’s not a major issue, though, as you can turn the arrow off if you want.

That’s another area where PQ2 feels a lot better than the original. In the first game, nearly every time you would use the AI’s suggestion, it would end in disaster. The aforementioned cascade of combos from off-screen in the opponents favor would have been laughable had it not been so maddeningly frustrating. They seemed to have fixed that, much to the joy of my sanity meter.

Puzzle Quest 2 also offers a variety of multiplayer modes. You can use the hero you have been building up in the single player campaign or even set up matches between the game’s various monsters. This gives it a lot of replayability since you can sit on the couch and battle with your friends, or play them over Xbox Live.

It may sounds like I am down on the original game, but I actually did enjoy it quite a bit. Puzzle Quest 2, while the same in its core mechanic, feels like an improvement in all the ways I could have asked for. It’s a great game for relaxing with on the couch. The additional mechanics added via the RPG elements help keep things feeling fresh for a lot longer than your standard match-3 game. All in all, it’s a fun package worth checking out.

This review is based on code of the final build of the Xbox Live Arcade version of Puzzle Quest 2 provided to us by D3Publisher.