Game Review: The Legend of Zelda – Link’s Awakening (GB)

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action, adventure, Game Boy, Kaepora Gaebora, Koholint Island, Link, Link's Awakening, Marin, Nintendo, Tarin, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening DX, Wind Fish, Zelda

THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS

I usually try to avoid spoilers but it is impossible for me to review Link’s Awakening without talking about the ending. It was my first Zelda game and one of my first Nintendo games and was instrumental in my becoming a lifelong Nintendo fan. To this day I consider it one of my five favourite games of all time and, with the possible exception of Ocarina of Time 3D, it is the best game I have ever reviewed for this blog and so much of what makes it a classic is in the ending.

Top Ten DS Games

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Chrono Trigger, DS, Fire Emblem - Shadow Dragon, Mario and Luigi - Bowser's Inside Story, Mario Kart DS, Nintendo, Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Professor Layton and the Lost Future, The Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda - Spirit Tracks, Yoshi's Island DS

Every game system has an identity, a defining characteristic or style of game that comes to mind whenever the platform is mentioned. The DS is something of a jack-of-all-trades, a handheld that pioneered new ways to play opening up bold new areas of design and gameplay that boasted exciting opportunities for developers of all types of games. The intuitive touch-screen interface paved the way for a slew of accessible casual games from Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training to endless Imagine games whilst also paving the way for more challenging concepts like Elite Beat Agents. In this sense the identity of the DS is fairly loose, neither entirely casual or hardcore and there’s something for gamers of all tastes and skill levels to choose. The console is an all-rounder, one that has seen more than its fair share of shovelware clogging up its back catalogue but a system is not usually judged according to its worst output but its best. The following are, in my opinion, the ten best experiences available for the Nintendo DS.

Console Awards – Nintendo DS

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Chrono Trigger, DS, Fire Emblem - Shadow Dragon, Mario and Luigi - Bowser's Inside Story, Nintendo, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, The Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda - Spirit Tracks

With my recent purchase of Okamiden I have finally exhausted my interest in new software for Nintendo’s phenomenally successful handheld. That’s it, there are no more DS games available or on the approach I intend to buy (unless Nintendo decides to localise Fire Emblem – Shin Monshō no Nazo: Hikari to Kage no Eiyū at the eleventh hour, sadly unlikely). And so to reflect upon the little dual-screened machine that could, this is the debut of a new feature for the blog, the Console Awards which will honour the best games for the system. As usual this post is based on personal experience and in no way definitive so only games I’ve actually played can be considered. I’ll be doing a follow-up post listing my Top Ten DS Games too so check back soon to find out my choice for the best overall games on the system.

Game Review: Okamiden (DS)

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adventure, Capcom, Chibiterasu, DS, Nintendo, Okamiden

You have to give credit to Capcom for ignoring the numbers and focusing on words. When Okami was released on PS2 in 2006 it became an instant classic. More than just another Zelda clone the game built on the strong foundations of that series’ structure and wove a powerful identity of its own with its gorgeously stylised graphics, innovative gameplay and superbly realised sweeping story based on Japanese Shinto mythology.

Book Review: The Pearls of Lutra – Brian Jacques

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adventure, Arven, Brian Jacques, Clecky, Craklyn, Durral, Gerul, Grath Longfletch, Inbar, Lask Frildur, Mad Eyes, Martin, Piknim, Rasconza, Redwall, Rollo, Romsca, Sagitar, Tansy, Tears of all Oceans, The Pearls of Lutra, Ublaz, Viola

The Tales of Redwall are wonderful and the late Brian Jacques most forever be praised for how well he has managed to maintain the charm and appeal of a twenty-three book series despite sticking almost religiously to a formula. That said, and as delightful as stories like Mariel of Redwall and Salamandastron are most books in the series don’t match the lofty heights of four books that hold the gold standard for the series, Martin the Warrior and Mossflower starring, funnily enough, Martin the Warrior and Redwall and Mattimeo starring Matthias. However outside of these two miniseries within the main canon there is one book that just about keeps up, the ninth book in the series, The Pearls of Lutra.

Film Review: The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (U)

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Aardman, adventure, animation, Brendan Gleeson, Brian Blessed, comedy, David Tennant, Hugh Grant, Imelda Staunton, Jeff Newitt, Jeremy Piven, Lenny Henry, Martin Freeman, Peter Lord, Pirate Captain, Salma Hayek, Stop Motion, The Pirates!, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

It seems fitting that in a year that looks likely to prove a Renaissance for stop motion animation that one of the most prolific studios to practise the painstaking art should lead the charge. With Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie and Laika’s ParaNorman on the way Aardman are here with their first feature length stop motion effort since 2005’s Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Game Review: Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call (DS)

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DS, Emmy Altava, Level 5, Luke Triton, Nintendo, Production I.G., Professor Layton, Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call, Puzzle

Sometimes you can never have too much of a good thing. Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call, the fourth game in the series that arguably defines the Nintendo DS and last for the system with which it will forever be commonly associated with is every bit as enjoyable as you’d expect from this remarkably consistent series.