Gamesugar

December 21, 2009

Review – The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , — Jamie Love @ 9:26 am

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
My first GDC glimpse of Link traveling into view aboard a train provoked a knee-jerk reaction that caused the word “gimmicky” to slip passed my lips. And though the impulse was earnest, it was a poor descriptor considering that the industry is at least 90% gimmick, with the remaining 10% left to fight it out between inspiration and other mysterious elements.

It was also an inadequate word to describe the way Nintendo is altering the legacy earned by The Legend of Zelda to date, which isn’t changing simply because new installments involve different modes of transportation in Hyrule, but because the emphasis on that concern shifts the entirety of the experience along with the significance of one of the industry’s most treasured franchises.

But let’s start out on a more solid footing by restating the obvious and acknowledge that The Legend of Zelda is the industry’s example of the oldest story in our possession. For the most part, each new entry to the series is a retelling of the hero’s story, told to new generations with subtle variations regarding the how and why to represent evolving sensibilities and ideas, but always anchored by a idealized image of human development. Though Spirit Tracks deviates with a more specific attempt at placing itself within a timeline, the game still takes advantage of the formula that furnishes the series with this reputation, failing to recognize the burden of responsibility and expectation the brand carries.

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December 14, 2009

Review – Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 8:40 am

Clash of Heroes

Despite the low profile release, and a name only someone with a shirt reading Dungeon Master could love, Capybara’s DS entry into the strategy genre stuffs more game up my stocking than I’d anticipated this season.

Sitting alongside recognizable brands on the store shelf, you’d be forgiven for going a tad cross-eyed reading the title Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. The game is filled with the knights, elves, talking trees and evil hell spawn the title brings to mind. And while I don’t intend to undermine the effort but probably will anyway, such elements are just window dressing for a game more focused on proving Capybara an undisputed leader in creating addictive gaming experiences.

It’s not like I’d accuse Capy of having a shtick or suggest that the game repeats an established formula. But there’s definitely an emerging sense of familiar sensations attached to their work, and fortunately for us this is a good thing.

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December 13, 2009

Review – Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 11:50 am

Review Castlevania Order of Ecclesia
When Koji Igarashi appears with that iconic whip on his hip, he wants us to believe that he IS Castlevania. But considering how the series has developed through recent handheld iterations, I often wondered why he would want to perpetuate that idea. And then when I initially heard that Order of Ecclesia would be radically different BECAUSE you play as a female character, I wondered if I should get back to that novel I’ve been working on from time to time.

I wasn’t alone in my early disinterest, which may well serve as Konami’s theme for 2008. But finally taking the time to play Ecclesia, I’ve discovered an immense void between what Konami PR focuses on and what the game actually achieves. Perhaps games can’t be properly explained with words. Perhaps developers do a poor job explaining their creations, having worked in the absence of a journalism that presses for the rationale behind creative decisions. [Honestly, can you believe no one questions these statements?] BUT, as a favor to Konami, for a nominal charge, I present the following marketing assistance;

Order of Ecclesia is a glorious Bitch-Goddess.

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Review – Retro Game Challenge

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , — Jamie Love @ 11:30 am

Review Retro Game Challenge
Though his work remains obscure, Doctor Cairn Kipling devoted his life to understanding the thought process of the animal kingdom, particularly the domestic dog. For over 20 years, he lived in a modest home in Austria, raising and studying a pack of Papillons. Though the details of his grisly demise made headlines, his true contribution to society was the seminal work, Belegter Butterbrot von Türkei auf Weizen. Among his many observations, his seminal thesis involved the primary mental imperative of our four legged friends, which he summarized as, “I’m a dog!”

And just as I questioned how any of this information might ever prove relevant, XSEED Games published Retro Game Challenge, a game that’s primary pre-occupation is excitedly exclaiming, “I’m a game!”

It’s a game in love with being a game. But to be clear, it doesn’t strive for post-modern vanity. Instead, it exists as a game excited to exist. And this tiny DS cartridge just might be the geritol our worn and ragged gamer souls need. It’s a Voight-Kampff test, separating those that “were there,” at that precious place and time from those who are now ready to embrace this title today.

But this isn’t about a tortoise on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun. So what is Retro Game Challenge about, then?

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