Rapid Fire Game Reviews!

I am currently playing through five (technically six) games on four separate consoles.  I can usually juggle two, or at the very most three at a time, but five or six is beyond anything my brain can handle.

I’m just a video game lightweight, I guess.

In any case, I need to whittle the list down to at least three, and I’m hoping this spur-of-the-moment post will help my decision-making process.

 

 

Fantastic game.  There’s lots of variety in the missions I’ve played so far, it has characters that you actually feel some kind of connection with, and it looks spectacular.  Where IV’s driving controls made it feel like cars weighed a ton, V goes back to that great arcade-like feel from the PlayStation 2-generation of GTA games.

I think I made a mistake in getting this for PlayStation 3 instead of Xbox 360, however.  My 80GB hard drive is already packed full of software updates to several other games, and I had to delete a few things to make room for GTA V’s mandatory 8GB install.  Somewhat annoying, but I’m not ruling out getting a newer-generation (and bigger HD-equipped) PS3 someday down the road.

Verdict:  Keep playing.  I can’t quit until that psychopath Trevor gets what’s (inevitably) coming to him.

 

 

This is the second time I’ve attempted a playthrough, the first time being about six years ago.  My experience with the “touch screen only” controls wasn’t a great one, and it was a little tough on my (stylus-holding) left hand.  I quit playing before completing the second dungeon, not really being in the mood to deal with the hand constantly cramping up.

A few months ago, I had just finished Wind Waker HD when I decided to see how the rest of this particular Zelda storyline unfolded.  I had also acquired a 3DS XL during the summer months, so putting the game on a flat surface was a more viable option than it was with the DSi’s smaller screen.  I wouldn’t have to squint quite as much to read text!

The game itself makes great use of the touch screen for puzzles, but repeatedly having to go back and re-visit a temple on Mercay Island (the island you start on) gets quite tedious.  Other than that, I’m enjoying my experience much more this time around.

Verdict:  Keep playing.  I received A Link Between Worlds as a gift for Christmas, and even though I know it’s probably vastly superior to Phantom Hourglass, I can’t quit again!

 

 

Very little in the Call of Duty series has surprised me since the first Modern Warfare game.  These titles are a dime a dozen, and when I found this one for less than $10 at GameStop, I couldn’t resist.

Sometimes, you just need to shoot stuff.

Verdict:  Stop playing.  Someday, when I have three hours to kill, I’ll go through the single player campaign.

 

 

It’s pretty hard to hate a game that goes out of its way to give you more of the fantastic Mario platforming you know and love.  It’s not quite as sweaty palm-inducing as the Galaxy games were, but 3D World is so full of surprises that you just can’t stop playing it.

This is the closest we’ve gotten to a “New” Super Mario Bros. 2 game, what with the four different playable characters, the “slot” game (minus the casino vibe), as well as certain objects you can pick up and throw.  I’m still waiting for another turnip-tossing, vine-climbing, Birdo-ShyGuy-and-Snifit-infested romp through SubCon…  but this will have to do for now.

Verdict:  Keep playing.  I’ve made it to World 5, and once I’ve beaten the game, I can go through it at a later date to get all the bonus stuff.

 

 

The only thing that matters when it comes to a Lego game is whether or not you like the franchise it’s based on.  That’s pretty much it.  I loved Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, but the Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean games didn’t really resonate with me all that much, simply because I’m not that big a fan of the movies.

Truth be told, I haven’t seen many of them.  🙁

I quite enjoy Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, so this one is right up my alley.  The puzzles are pretty simple, and your character can easily get lost in the massive battles that take place, but I’m enjoying it so far.  It’s a light-hearted take on a story that can get pretty heavy, at times.

Verdict:  Stop playing.  As much as I’m liking it, I’ll pick this one back up later on.

 

 

I consider NES Remix to be Nintendo’s answer to the booming popularity of mobile gaming.  Much like games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush (and countless others), Remix has a three-star rating system for each level.  I never really liked the concept all that much before, but applied to NES-themed levels?  Fuggetaboutit.

This game was tailor-made for me, and though the $15 price tag might seem a tad high, you’d be surprised at just how much fun you can get out of it.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time perfecting my run through some levels, doing my absolute best to get three Rainbow Stars on everything.  I’m absolutely hooked!

Nintendo, please give me NES Remix 2, Game Boy Remix, and Super NES Remix ASAP.  Please and thank you.

Verdict:  Keep treating it as a mobile game, and play it whenever I feel like it.  It’s not like I’ll get lost if I put it down for a while.

 

And there you have it.  I’ve said this countless times before, but I really do intend to update this thing more often.  I still have plenty of game-related memories, and I look forward to sharing them!