Game Review: Fire Emblem – The Sacred Stones (GBA)

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Eirika, Ephraim, Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem - The Sacred Stones, Game Boy Advance, Intelligent Systems, Nintendo, RPG, strategy

When it comes to certain video games, more of the same is not necessarily a bad thing. This is generally the case with Fire Emblem, a series that sticks fairly faithfully to its well-balanced and addictive formula. But while the strong core gameplay has remained sensibly unchanged for years the structure is open to embellishments and new concepts that give each new release a different flavour, an extra layer of complexity to make it stand out from its brothers, something to add a little variety to the familiar. Perhaps the boldest and most controversial example can be found in The Sacred Stones, the third entry in the series for the Game Boy Advance (second to see release in Europe). With the title available to 3DS Ambassadors how does it stack up next to The Sword of Flame?

Game Review: Warioland 4 (GBA)

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Game Boy Advance, Nintendo, Platformer, Sidescroller, Wario, Warioland 4

Who would have guessed that a gluttonous, money-grabbing cad with personal hygiene issues would become the poster boy for handheld platformers? Wario’s pinched a fair amount of coin in his time but perhaps the theft he’d be most proud of is Mario’s thunder. Created as a sort of alter-ego for gaming’s greatest icon and the final boss of Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins, Wario made his playable debut in that game’s follow-up Warioland – Super Mario Land 3 and since then he has gone from strength to strength. The Warioland series is a shining example of consistency, four superbly playable handheld games each of which boasts its own strong identity and Warioland 4 for the Game Boy Advance is arguably the best of them.

Game Review: Metroid Fusion (GBA)

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action, Adam Malkovich, Game Boy Advance, Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Nintendo, SA-X, Samus Aran, science fiction, Shooter, Sidescroller

Planet Zebes is no more and the Metroid threat has been neutralised but Samus Aran is about to discover why the Metroids were created by the Chozo in the first place.

Game Review: Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Game Boy Advance)

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Charles Martinet, Donkey Kong, Game Boy Advance, Mario, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Nintendo, Puzzle Platformer

Like a lot of gamers of my generation the Game Boy was my first Nintendo console and alongside Tetris (obviously) my first Nintendo game was Donkey Kong. The game, sometimes known as Donkey Kong ’94, is so much more then a remake of the company’s first ever hit. The familiar four construction site levels are just the beginning, giving way to a hundred-level puzzle platforming odyssey once beaten. Although many Nintendo fans missed it Donkey Kong on the Game Boy is a platforming masterpiece that for many years existed as a standalone on the old grey brick. But in 2004 Nintendo decided to resurrect its smartly conceived format with a follow-up of sorts; Mario vs Donkey Kong.

Game Review: Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA)

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Game Boy Advance, Intelligent Systems, Mario, Mario Kart, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Nintendo, Racing

Although the ten GBA 3DS Ambassador games are all titles I already owned I’m not one to pass up an opportunity to try out an old game in a new format, especially if I can do it for free. They also provide rather excellent entertainment for long tube rides, not least Mario Kart Super Circuit, which happens to be my first experience of one of gaming’s most successful spin-offs. Oh and guess what? It was made by my favourite dev Intelligent Systems.

Game Review: Fire Emblem (GBA)

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Eliwood, Fire Emblem, Game Boy Advance, Hector, Intelligent Systems, Lyndis, Nintendo, Strategy RPG, The Sword of Flame

It seems the Fire Emblem series really is the strongest indicator I can think of to confirm my long held belief that a single playthrough of a game is not always enough to base a fair and accurate judgement on. So it has proven once again with this 2004 Game Boy Advance title, the first released in the English language. The game’s Japanese subtitle roughly translates as The Sword of Flame but the western world’s first introduction to the franchise drops it for the simple title of Fire Emblem. If you saw my Top 100 Games 2012 post you might recall the game was listed with a score of 9.2 but after replaying it for the first time my opinion has altered.

Game Review: Wario Ware Inc. Minigame Mania (GBA)

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9-Volt, Ana, Dr Crygor, Dribble, Game Boy Advance, Intelligent Systems, Jimmy T, Kat, Mona, Nintendo, Orbulon, Spitz, Wario, Wario Ware, Wario Ware Inc. Minigame Mania

A few days ago I did something I will never do again. Fool that I am I left my laptop on the tube, what a plonker. If I’m extremely lucky it may yet turn up at the TfL Lost Property Office but chances are I’m going to have to buy a new one. I’m grateful to my excellent flat mate Tom for lending me one of his laptops until either of these things comes to pass. I had a review of one of the biggest films of the year, Marvel Avengers Assemble written and ready to go which I unfortunately hadn’t backed up. I can’t be bothered to rewrite it straight away so if you see a review of that film appearing in the near future that will be your indicator that I’ve been very jammy. Otherwise I expect I’ll knock something else out in a few weeks, for now though it’s time to cover another 3DS Ambassador game and a GBA classic.