Game Review: The Legend of Zelda – Four Swords Anniversary Edition

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adventure, DS, DSiWare, Four Swords, Four Swords Anniversary Edition, Link, Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda - Four Swords Anniversary Edition, Vaati, Zelda

Thanks to a chronic shortage of funds the number of new games I’ve bought this year has been dismally small. Among the titles released this year that I plan to get I’ve still yet to lay my hands on Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Okamiden and Star Fox 64 3D and I still haven’t got round to getting Sin and Punishment – Successor of the Skies, which came out last year. As we approach the Christmas period and the release schedule is starting to get a bit busy I’m finally bringing in some cash and just starting to catch up with purchases. The first piece of news regards Xenoblade Chronicles, the critically acclaimed Wii JRPG, which I got for my birthday. A combination of my drawn-out and difficult house move and working long hours has prevented me from playing it that much and I must say that my first impressions of what I have played haven’t been that good. Then again I had a similar experience with Fire Emblem – Radiant Dawn, which I ended up absolutely loving. That game has had to be shelved in light of a rather important new release.

Nearly five years after the release of its predecessor, Twilight Princess, the next core game in The Legend of Zelda series, Skyward Sword is finally out and I wasn’t planning on waiting to get it. There is nothing I look forward to more than a new main Zelda title and when I come to review the game, which I’m happily playing through, it will be the most significant post I’ll have made for this blog, a status it will retain until the first Wii U Zelda game comes out.

First, though, there’s the not insignificant matter of another Zelda release. The Legend of Zelda – Four Swords was originally released as an extra alongside the GBA port of A Link to the Past. The multiplayer only game required two to four players, each with a GBA and a game cart to work and I only ever had the chance of playing it once with one other person and we didn’t complete it. Since then it’s always felt like the Zelda game that got away, a misfit that I couldn’t rate properly not being able to play it in the depth I would like. As part of the series’ 25^th anniversary celebrations, however, Nintendo have given the game a new lease of life and made it available to download for free with DSiWare as The Legend of Zelda – Four Swords Anniversary Edition with a new one-player mode and some extra content. It’s hard to think of a better warm up act for the main event.

The story of Four Swords is pretty simple. Link and Zelda pay a visit to the Temple of the Four Sword where Vaati the Wind Mage has been kept imprisoned for generations (since the events of Minish Cap, the villain’s origin story and, it is commonly agreed, the first game chronologically in the series). Before you know it Vaati has broken free and grabbed Zelda meaning it’s up to Link to take the Four Sword and create three copies of himself who set off together to rescue the princess.

Since it was originally conceived a multiplayer only title the game is deliberately on the short side with three main themed regions of Hyrule to tackle, each with three stages presented in linear fashion. You can try each set of levels in any order you choose and upon completing them you will be rewarded with keys to Vaati’s Palace, the final set of levels. It’s a compact little arrangement that suits the concept well. The levels are designed with multiplayer in mind, players must work together to overcome enemies and obstacles utilising the various items and equipment they come across. The basic 2D Zelda gameplay is intact with its top-down perspective and swordplay but the handling of secondary weapons is different. By default each player starts with a shield which they can swap out for any item they come across on any of the strategically placed pedestals. The usual bombs, boomerang and bow are all present alongside some new creations such as the Roc’s Cape which allows you to jump a great distance and the Gnat’s Hat which shrinks you down to miniscule size, allowing you to fit through small gaps, both concepts reused in greater depth in Minish Cap.

In addition to the basic objective of progress the game features a competitive twist. Each level is abundant in rupees of many values, many to be found in the frequent treasure chests and the game tracks how much each Link accumulates. It can make for some frantic contests as each player tries to beat his opponents to the best haul of rupees. It’s even possible to pick up and throw other Links, a feature used for both co-operative and competitive purposes.

Four Swords was given a much more fleshed-out follow-up for the Gamecube called Four Swords Adventures which featured a much lengthier quest, better designed levels, Gamecube – GBA  link cable support and a fully functioning one-player mode and the one-player game for this reissue takes a cue from that game. When playing alone you can control two Links, one following the other and press a button to separate and take control of one at a time and this allows you to get round the various moments in the game that require two players. It works well enough but it’s ultimately not as fun without someone to take the journey with.

So is it any good? Of course it is, it’s a Zelda game, the gameplay is solid, the combat clean and fun and the overall presentation strong. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s not as good as any of the full releases in the series, including Four Swords Adventures. The levels work well enough but given the series’ rich tradition of delivering fiendish and clever dungeons the overall design is very forgetable particularly compared to the much more engaging level design in Four Swords Adventures. The bosses are more interesting and make good use of the multiple character concept. The graphics are colourfully reminiscent of A Link to the Past without ever electrifying and the soundtrack is functional but not a classic.

The best thing about Four Swords Adventures Anniversary Edition is the new content. After completing the game you open up a new area called the Realm of memories which presents you with a triumvirate of new levels based on old games in the series. Revisiting old locations such as Hyrule Castle from A Link to the Past and Tal Tal Heights from Link’s Awakening is a real treat especially given the retro graphics and sound. The levels feature redesigned puzzles and concepts that make things feel fresh even for veterans.

While it might not be the deep, rewarding and lasting experience of most Zelda titles, Four Swords Anniversary Edition is still an enjoyable little package at a price no-one can argue with. With Ocarina of Time 3D, the 3DS Virtual Console port of Link’s Awakening DX and Skyward Sword it’s been a busy year for the series and this freebie is a worthwhile part of it that helps celebrate a quarter of a century of great games.

Verdict

Feeling more like a basic spin-off than a true entry in the illustrious series, Four Swords Anniversary Edition is nonetheless a fun little title made all the better for the new levels and one-player mode and with no price tag you’ve no excuse not to get it.

Presentation – 8

Design – 7

Gameplay – 8

Graphics – 8

Sounds – 7

Difficulty – 5

Longevity – 5

 

Overall

 

8.2

Film Review: The Rum Diary

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Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Bruce Robinson, comedy, Giovanni Ribisi, Hunter S Thompson, Johnny Depp, Michael Risposi, Richard Jenkins, The Rum Diary

This film from Bruce Robinson, director of possibly the definitive cult classic Withnail and I, working for the first time since 1992, was adapted from an early Hunter S Thompson novel that remained unpublished for years and plays out like a spiritual prequel to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, another Thompson adap that also starred Johnny Depp.

The Rum Diary’s plot mirrors a similar episode in Thompson’s own life as it follows Paul Kemp (Depp), a failed novelist with an inconvenient habit of drinking to absolute excess and his relocation to Puerto Rico to work on a local rag. He soon shacks up with an in-house photographer with a side line in cockfighting (Michael Risposi) and an absolute mess of a politics and religious affairs correspondent (Giovanni Ribisi). Together they indulge in light-hearted debauchery while their paper struggles and their editor (Richard Jenkins) tears his hair out (or has it torn out for him).

Meanwhile Kemp is courted by a high-flying property developer (Aaron Eckhart) who employs him to write favourable pieces about his latest business venture which gives Kemp plenty of time to get to know his flirty siren of a girlfriend (Amber Heard). It’s a mishmash of autobiographical drama, trippy comedy and gritty depiction of an island ‘paradise’.

And it’s a mishmash that isn’t entirely successful. True there’s plenty to enjoy from the characters’ often hilarious drug and booze-addled antics (particularly one incident that casts Depp as a human flamethrower) and the characters are mostly well-conceived and convincing but the plot strands mostly meander into insignificance and there’s little by way of Fear and Loathing style drug trips to enjoy. The most interesting thing about the film is probably its convincing and fascinating depiction of Puerto Rico in the late 1950s, a place of belligerent bar owners, crazed zombie women and endless tourist bowling alleys.

It’s an interesting indicator of the kind of weirdoes that Depp usually plays that this is one of his straightest performances. He’s clearly very comfortable with the Thompsonian dialogue (actually the director wrote the screenplay but managed to imitate the late author’s style successfully), but the character seems a little bland compared to his two buddies who are far more vividly played. The rest of the cast including Eckhart and Heard sell their parts of the plot well.

Verdict

Neither triumph nor disaster with nothing to elevate it to the kind of cult classic status enjoyed by Withnail and I but far from unentertaining.

Film Review: The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn

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adventure, Andy Serkis, animation, Captain Haddock, Daniel Craig, Herge, Jamie Bell, Motion Capture, Nick Frost, Peter Jackson, Simon Pegg, Snowy, Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn, Thomson and Thompson, Tintin

And so we come to one of the most significant releases of the year, at least as far as I’m concerned. Collaborators Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have brought to life Hergé’s hugely popular stories of Tintin, the be-quiffed journalist detective and his white fox-terrier Snowy in state of the art mo-cap animation. I’ll confess I’ve always liked Tintin but have never read any of his comic books (something I aim to rectify as soon as possible) but have fond memories of watching the cartoon as a kid and I’ve been looking forward to this release with great anticipation. Some of the early reviews have been a little mixed, inevitably Tintin purists have found the faults they were always going to find and the usual criticisms of motion capture animation have been raised with equal predictability. I live and breathe adventure storytelling and there are few things I love more than animation – all of its forms. Considering these things it’s fair to say that The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn is perfect for me and I have great pleasure in saying that this long-anticipated picture exceeds all my expectations.

The film gets off to a flying start with an outstanding, brilliantly stylised and action-packed opening credits sequence reminiscent of Catch Me If You Can that uses silhouetted characters to depict a taste of Tintin’s exciting adventures, and even recreates that iconic image of Tintin and Snowy running in front of an orange spotlight. It sets the scene for a relentlessly breathless and eventful movie that moves quickly and provides some truly spectacular set pieces.

After a clever little introduction for the spirited young Belgian which I won’t spoil the plot wastes no time in getting going. Whilst wandering around a bric-a-brac market Tintin (Jamie Bell) comes across a magnificent model of the Unicorn, a Charles II man of war ship which he delightedly buys seconds before two other men arrive with the same intention. His curiosity piqued, Tintin pays a visit to the library to read up on the fate of the real Unicorn, captained by Sir Francis Haddock and returns home to find the model stolen. Before long he finds himself a prisoner on an ocean steamer where he meets Captain Archibald Haddock (Andy Serkis) and the pair set off on a race against the nefarious Ivanovich Sakharine (Daniel Craig) in search of Sir Francis’ treasure.

One of the common criticisms of the film has been directed towards the plot with some critics labelling it too complex but I honestly can’t see why as it seems like a fairly straightforward treasure hunt to me, one designed to maximise the potential for globetrotting, exciting encounters and character comedy.

Tintin regular Professor Cuthbert Calculus may be absent, cited for an appearance in the Jackson-directed sequel but Interpol’s most inept, Thomson and Thompson (no relation) are present and correct courtesy of the unlikely presence of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as they aim to track down a light-fingered pickpocket. Pegg and Frost are almost unrecognisable as the bowler-hatted cane carrying pair, which is probably to their credit and they make the most of their relatively few scenes bringing the memorable characters to suitable life. Daniel Craig has fun playing against type but seems to struggle to make his part truly memorable. Sakharine is clearly the most underwritten character and his motivations are slightly blurry but he’s a perfectly fine boo-hiss baddie. The same can’t be said for Haddock, easily the most interesting character, vividly realised by the king of motion capture, Andy Serkis (who once belonged to the same theatre group at uni that I did albeit at completely different times). Haddock is a deeply flawed man, a hard drinker, scared of sobriety living in the shadow of his greater ancestors. Haddock is the heart and soul of the film which doesn’t quite kick fully into gear before his arrival on screen, the plot largely revolving around the salty seaman and Serkis’ performance is superb. Tintin himself is a character many feel is a little bland, the straight man in the middle with little personality, an observation I understand but don’t quite agree with. Yes Tintin is fairly neutral but his inherent decency, resourcefulness, thirst for adventure and truth and all round likeability make him a hero worth caring about and Jamie Bell does a fine job of interpreting that with a measured characterisation handling action well and hitting the right comic notes. Then there’s the young reporter’s constant companion Snowy who is sure to be every kid’s favourite. Sadly the film makers didn’t customise a mo-cap suit for a real terrier but he’s animated superbly and gets his own entertaining set piece as well as a number of good comic beats.

So what about that divisive motion capture animation? It’s fair to say the medium hasn’t had an easy ride with films like The Polar Express and Beowulf not enjoying the kind of success Robert Zemeckis really wants. The most common complaint about the technique is the ‘dead eye’ effect, which was rife in The Polar Express, a film I happen to rather like (I gave it a very brief review in a roundup a while back). The good news is that a great deal of progress has been made here. Characters emote just as well as those of other animation media and you’ll have no difficulty empathising with Tintin and co. Despite this many opinions of the film have still claimed the realistic character motions and near photo-realistic design are too uncanny but again I have to disagree. The whole point of motion capture is those realistic motions which offer a kind of immersion not possible in other forms of animation. It’s essentially the CGI equivalent to rotascoping and no-one ever complained that A-Ha’s Take On Me video was uncanny. More to the point the quality on show here is extremely high which makes it all the more of a mystery to me when people say the film might as well have been live action. True, certain moments describe a realism so good the argument has merit but some sequences are so visually astounding that they wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of CGI, which is just animation anyway. The characters’ appearance wouldn’t be anywhere near as memorable (there are some brilliant noses in there) and the action set pieces are vibrantly spectacular. One sea-bound sequence features the best water effects I’ve ever seen in animation, period, and it’s things like that the film would lose in live action.

So the story and comedy are good, what about the adventure? It’s those set pieces that are the star of the show and they’re many and varied from a hilarious chase sequence that cements Snowy as one of film’s most awesome dogs ever, a flashback sequence featuring a truly epic clash between rival seafarers and the clear standout, a one shot action extravaganza involving a motorbike and sidecar, a falcon, a collapsing dam and a whole lot of excitement. It’s an absolutely unforgettable moment that rather overshadows the climax.

So what next for motion capture? My opinion of this latest effort might be glowing but not everyone agrees with me and there remains some doubt over the medium’s worth. The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn is the best motion capture animation ever made but I don’t think it’s going to make the world fall in love with the style the way Toy Story won the whole world over to CG animation. Perhaps that’s what the medium is lacking, an ambassador of the quality of Toy Story, a great original as opposed to something adapted that tells a brilliant story. But unlike Toy Story, which would have made a magnificent movie in any medium, I think motion capture needs a film that clearly wouldn’t be as brilliant done any other way. Tintin could easily have brilliant in cel or straight up CG animation so it’s not that but it’s definitely better for being animated.

Verdict

Technically amazing and full of the charm and adventure of the comics, The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn is a rollicking ride packed with memorable moments, great characters and  the kind of old-school Spielbergian escapism too seldom found on the big screen these days.

Book Review: High Rhulain – Brian Jacques

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adventure, Brian Jacques, High Rhulain, Redwall, Tiria Wildlough

At the current rate it won’t be long before the entire top shelf on the bookshelves in my room is dedicated solely to Brian Jacques’ work, not something I’m unhappy about. This time it’s High Rhulain, the 18^th book in the Redwall series, published in 2005 and the best book in the series for some years.

High Rhulain’s villain is Riggu Felis, a vicious wildcat warlord ruling with an iron fist over Green Isle, the rightful home of the otterclans half of whom lie enslaved in his compound. Chief among the free otters rebelling against his tyranny is the outlaw Leatho Shellhound who dreams of the return of the High Queen Rhulain, the true ruler of the isle. Meanwhile at Redwall Abbey a young ottermaid named Tiria Wildlough dreams of Martin the Warrior who bequeaths her one of his great tasks to fulfil, an event that coincides with the arrival of two birds at Redwall, Brantalis the barnacle goose and Pandion Piketalon the osprey, both of whom know Green Isle.

Putting it simply High Rhulain is the best book in the series since The Legend of Luke and the closest the author has come to recapturing his early form. It’s not quite the equal of solid classics like Mariel of Redwall or Salamandastron, let alone Redwall itself but it clearly surpasses the several immediately preceding books since Lord Brocktree. The plot, which is a not exactly unpredictable affair involving the liberation of Green Isle, is fine as they go but it’s the characters that make this one stand out. Tiria is a likeable if fairly neutral heroine but it’s her many sidekicks that stand out, particularly the aforementioned birds and best of all Cuthbert Blanedale Frunk, a perilous and bonkers hare with split personalities. Riggu Felis is a fairly standard villain but his rivalry with his own son, which recalls Salamandastron makes for consistently interesting reading. Best of all though the narrative is mostly free of the pace-slowing character moments and endless meetings and feasting that have held back other recent stories. It’s an efficiently told well-paced story that doesn’t outstay its welcome.

There are a few other titbits to enjoy here, many of the otterclans share names with otter characters from throughout the series, there are some well thought out riddles to get stuck into and the abbey building is developed in the most interesting detail in quite some time.

With only four more books remaining in the series before Jacques’ death one can only hope that High Rhulain marked the start of a Renaissance for the author. I will of course be finding out in due course but won’t forget to review Mattimeo, The Pearls of Lutra, The Long Patrol and Marlfox along the way.

Verdict

Showing the kind of inventive and thoughtful storytelling that made his early work so compelling High Rhulain stands as Brian Jacques’ best Redwall tale of the new millennium.

Film Review: Contagion

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Contagion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Steven Soderbergh, Thriller

Steven Soderbergh’s latest is a ‘what if?’ movie. Taking the moderate levels of public concern over the outbreaks of swine and bird flu and presents us with a starkly believable and downright scary vision of how it might have panned out if a highly contagious respiratory virus went pandemic.

The film opens with Gwyneth Paltrow, one of an impressive ensemble cast, looking pretty under the weather. With echoes of films like Psycho and Scream which also killed off a major star early on she quickly snuffs it courtesy of some disturbing seizures(stop yelling ‘spoiler’ it happens in the first few minutes). Before we know what’s what the mystery illness that brought about her death is spreading around the world and hysteria slowly starts to build as various medical authorities desperately try to track down the origin of the virus and create a vaccine.

More than just the spread of the disease the film smartly examines the public reaction to the pandemic and the focus of this part of the story is a snaggletoothed Jude Law affecting an inexplicable Aussie accent playing the part of a conspiracy blogger with delusions of grandeur who preaches against the honest efforts of the scientists striving for a medical cure and promoting a homeopathic remedy. His plot line adds an interesting extra element to the film and goes a long way to creating a believable spectrum of people’s responses to such a crisis.

The several other big stars each have a part to play, Matt Damon is a widower who does everything he can to protect his daughter from the illness, Kate Winslet is the front line expert trying to contain the spread of the disease, Marion Cotillard plays detective trying to track down its origin while Jennifer Ehle is the lab scientist is search of the vaccine and there are numerous other high profile cameos and cast members that lend the film their star quality to great effect. No-one really takes the lead although Damon might be seen as the everyman hero but it’s much more about the effect the concept has on the audience rather than the acting.

Early shots as the virus is starting to spread linger on the myriad things we touch every few seconds with potential contagion-spreading results and the sense of how easily the virus can be spread is extremely effective to the point where it can really build a sense of paranoia. Coughs and sneezes in screenings of Contagion have reportedly caused worried heads to turn and the brutal reality of the concept is pretty scary. It’s meant to be exhilarating rather than entertaining and it definitely succeeds.

The only glaring flaw of Contagion is in how it ties up. The film limps to a pretty plodding conclusion which is okay as it admirably avoids any kind of cinematic, popcorny climax, which, frankly, would have felt nicked from a different film but some of the individual plot lines play out into an unsatisfying nothing, particularly Marion Cotillard and Jude Law’s stories. Despite this the things the film does well it does well enough for this not to really matter and you will leave the cinema very aware of who you might be in touching distance of, and that’s mission accomplished.

Verdict

Tremendously effective in its depiction of the terrifying reality of a lethal pandemic that will leave you paranoid. The all-star cast are great to watch but it’s the disease itself that you will remember.

Film Review: The Ides of March

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Evan Rachel Wood, George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March, Thriller

I have just endured for the second time this year a very problematic house move. Like last time I was unable to move into my new abode on the day I was supposed to due to an almighty cock-up but on this occasion I didn’t find out about the delay until I was in the estate agent’s office to pick up the keys. So after one week of crashing at my housemate Ryan’s sister’s house (thanks Carina and Mark) which is luckily very near our new pad we are now getting settled in and going through the lengthy process of lugging all of our worldly belongings by hand the better part of a mile from the aforementioned lifesaving dwelling. It’s been a busy month and no mistake but I still found time to head to the cinema with Ryan, Carina and Mark to catch this new political thriller starring Ryan Gosling and George Clooney.

Stephen Meyers (Gosling) is a young but gifted political campaign manager riding high as a key wheel on Governor Mike Morris’ (Clooney) campaign bus, playing second fiddle only to veteran Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman) as they do everything in their power to get their man elected as the Democrat’s presidential candidate. Things are looking good as they petition an influential Senator (Jeffrey Wright) for his endorsement; Morris seems like the kind of green-leaning champion of the people half the world would like to see become the world’s most powerful man and even his opponent’s campaign chief (Paul Giamatti) is expressing his envy of Morris’ asset in Meyers. But when Meyer’s reporter friend (Marisa Tomei) somehow picks up a sensitive leak and Meyers discovers campaign intern Molly (Evan Rachel Wood) is hiding an even more delicate secret it’s all he can do to keep the campaign and his job on the rails.

This is the first Clooney directed picture I’ve seen and I can conclude that the Silver Fox clearly has talent in the discipline which is lucky because he does more of that than acting in this one by a long way. Despite his character forming the central focus of almost every other characters’ efforts and attentions he spends very little time on screen. Instead this is Gosling’s film, the younger pretender taking centre stage in another important vehicle for his career and the good news as far as he and his fans are concerned is that he doesn’t disappoint. The same goes for the whole cast who deliver their dialogue snappily and with the necessary authenticity of a naturalistic production set in a complex world. Key scenes do not want for the sense of gravitas vital to make them work and the depth of insight into the campaign process is fascinating and credible.

But the film suffers from a couple of critical flaws that detract from what could have been a gripping and essential study of corruption and dirty dealing in a world dominated by rhetoric and spin. It’s to Gosling’s credit that his acting gets the stamp of approval because his character is extremely contradictory. Early on he gives an impassioned speech about how he will always strive for what he thinks is right but when his own success is threatened this mantra is disposed of with unbelievable ease. And for someone who has worked his way up to a very prominent position in politics Meyers seems incredibly naïve about how dirty a world it is. Then there’s the plot itself which stretches credibility. Something Meyers does early on is pitched as a serious no-no but seems like anything but a big deal in reality and an equally critical scandal lacks originality, borrowing very obviously from true events. But perhaps more than this the story lacks dimensions playing out as a narrowly focused account of one man’s fortunes when the wider context of the campaign’s progress is consistently more interesting.

The film gains some points for not portraying the Democrats in an entirely positive light but loses them again for its rather obvious Republican-bashing. Despite its flaws I never found it less than engaging (although Ryan said he struggled to maintain an interest) and the acting speaks for itself. The film is garnering some decent critical praise and it might even earn some academy nods but I sense it won’t go down in history as one of the great political thrillers.

Verdict

Well played all round but missing a few ingredients to make it truly essential. Certainly worth a watch for Gosling’s good work but ultimately not the winning candidate.