Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS

pic4

The Pokemon games have been known the world around for their fun role playing Pokemon collecting fun.  Where the action is more directed via third person through a trainer.  There are a series of RPG Pokemon games where you play not the human trainer, but a Pokemon exploring a dungeon filled with other Pokemon to battle, adventures to have, and lots of action and treasures.  This game is called Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and the most recent game in the series is Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS.

In this game you pick your character as well as your “friend” Pokemon, and are transformed into a child’s Pokemon. You must explore dungeons to help solve a mystery which is effecting Pokemon by turning them to stone.

Throughout Mystery Dungeon, it is possible to meet all 720 known Pokemon (even rare and mega evolved Pokemon) with whom you can befriend and who can help you in battle.  There also many ways in to interact with this game as well, Wonder Mail players can receive special items via code of QR codes.  Street Pass is also available in Mystery Dungeon, where when you pass another player their Pokemon or assist in the next adventure.  If all your Pokemon faint, it is also possible to be revived to a local player as well, who will bring you back to life without the loss of any items collected.  These features bring a fun multiplayer aspect to the game which is both highly accessible and easy to use.

What we enjoyed most about this game is the ability to play as some of our favorite Pokemon, including Pikachu and Squirtle.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS is available now for $39.99 in the e Shop as well is at retailers everywhere.

Hyrule Warriors: Legends for Nintendo 3DS

pic8

Hyrule Warriors is a fun hack and slash game, mixing the familiar game characters from the Legend of Zelda with the game play and mechanics of the Dynasty Warriors series to make a fun beat ’em up style game with the rich character design and story line of Legend of Zelda.

The story involves Link and some new friends, Lana and Sheik, helping to restore the Tri-Force and save Princess Zelda while defeating the evil Cia.  In doing this, our heroes must travel through eras in the Hyrule time line ranging from Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword  and now Wind Waker as well.

Each level has tons of enemies to mow down using your hero, and now also allows you to switch characters on the fly so you can further develop an attack plan and strategy without leaving too much responsibility to an AI character.

Included in these tons of enemies are also big bosses who have weaknesses and special techniques in order to be defeated.  This keeps alive the puzzle solving aspect of the Legend of Zelda series.  There are tons of characters to play as in Warriors and with this new version there are five more, Tetra, King of Hyrule, Toon Link, Skull Kid and Linkle.  All of these are usable in addition to other favorites like Link and Sheik.

Hyrule Warriors is a good pick up and play game, and is a great game to play on the go or pause and come back to at a later time.  The action being intense and fun while ,still being playable by gamers of all skill sets.

Included with the 3DS game is a download code to bring the new characters now included in the 3DS version of Hyrule Warriors to the Wii U version, further expanding the fun.

Hyrule Warriors is available now for the Nintendo 3DS both in retail stores and in the eShop online for $39.99.

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam for the Nintendo 3DS

Mario and the crew are back for a brand new adventure that pairs the 3 dimensional Mario with his Paper version, Paper Mario, and his world of characters in the new Mario and Luigi Paper Jam.  The story of the game involves Paper Mario pages to come out of a book which exists in the world of Mario and Luigi.  The characters brought over are both friendly and not, ranging from Paper Mario to Paper Bowser.

mario

The action in this game is played out in role playing style where the player takes turns attacking with various skills to defeat the enemy.  What sets Mario and Luigi apart from classic role playing games is that they include player interaction by either bouncing like an acrobat on an enemy or tapping as many fireballs volleys as you can (etc).  Battles are action based rather then waiting for your next turn.  This makes the game accessible to both younger players as well as more experienced players.  The 3DS is the perfect console for this type of game, because with it you can just put your game to sleep and come back to it at any time.  I do have this word of warning- once you start playing, you are not going to want to stop.  With funny dialogue and silly interactions, the game is accessible and engaging to all levels of player.

Paper Jam also supports Amiibo’s as special power ups that can be used in battle.  Each Amiibo can store character cards, and during battle the player can call upon these cards via the Amiibo to get powers like temporarily improving your stats, healing your characters, and even making your enemies easier to defeat.  Amiibo’s definitely make the game more interesting and are highly suggested, as they are used across multiple current generations of Nintendo systems from the new 3DS XL to the Wii U.

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam is available now for the Nintendo 3DS retailing for $39.99 and available at both the eShop and retail locations.

Fun New Video Games

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.

If you are looking for fun new video games, here is what is in our systems right now.  Check them out, they are great picks for kids of all ages.

pic4

The Pokemon games have been known the world around for their fun role playing and Pokemon collecting fun.  The action is more directed via third person through a trainer.  There is a series of RPG Pokemon games where you play not as the human trainer, but as Pokemon exploring a dungeon filled with other Pokemon to battle, adventures to have, and lots of action and treasures.  This game is called Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and the most recent game in that series is Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS.

In this game you pick your character as well as your “friend” Pokemon, and are transformed into a young Pokemon who must explore dungeons to help solve a mystery which is effecting Pokemon in a terrible way- by turning them to stone.

Throughout Mystery Dungeon, it is possible to meet all 720 known Pokemon -even rare ones and mega evolved Pokemon.  There also many ways in to interact with this game as well, with Wonder Mail players can receive special items via code of QR cods.  Street Pass is also available in Mystery Dungeon, where when you pass another player their Pokemon assist in the next adventure.Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS is available now for $39.99 in the e Shop as well is at retailers everywhere.

pic5

A little something for the dads- Fire Emblem is the long running RPG with tactical movements on a grid environment.  Each environment has various obstacles and story line elements from Dragon Veins to deep canyons.  The series spans over 15 games and often refers to a weapon or shield, seen as the power of war and dragons.  Each character has a turn in your party, and then the enemy gets a turn for each of their characters.  There are also ally characters which you help and defend throughout the course of the game.  The most striking element of this game is the story line.  It starts out as many role playing games do, with a lost main character just trying to fit in.  From there is spins out of control and an important decision must be made, stay with the family that raised you, side with you biological family or choose neither.  Depending on your pick is which game you will play each with its own unique story which weaves your player into some interesting adventures and situations.  There are some “interesting” situations, like stroking your loved one’s face and blowing on them to “cool them off”, which make me say that this game is for mature players only.

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates Conquest retail for $39.99 each and the Special Edition with all three games retails for $79.99.  And will be available 02/19/16.  While Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation will be available for download on 03/10/16 for $19.99  or on 02/19/16 with the Special Edition.

pic6

Mario and the crew are back for a brand new adventure that pairs the 3 dimensional Mario with his Paper version. Paper Mario and his world of characters in the new Mario and Luigi Paper Jam.  The story of the game involves Paper Mario pages that come out of a book which exists in the world of Mario and Luigi.  The characters brought over are both friendly and not, ranging from Paper Mario to Paper Bowser.

The action in this game is played out in role playing style where the player takes turns attacking with various skills to defeat the enemy.  Battles are action based rather then waiting for your next turn.  This makes the game accessible to both younger players as well as more experienced players.  The 3DS is the perfect console for this type of game, because with it you can just put your game to sleep and come back to it at any time.  I do have this word of warning- once you start playing you are not going to want to stop.  With funny dialogue and silly interactions, the game is accessible to all levels of player.

Paper Jam also supports Amiibo’s as special power ups that can be used in battle.  Each Amiibo can store character cards and during battle, the player can call upon these cards to get powers. Amiibo’s definitely make the game more interesting and are highly suggested as they are used across multiple current generation Nintendo systems from the new 3DS XL to the Wii U.

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam is available now for the Nintendo 3DS retailing for $39.99 and available at both the eShop and retail locations.

pic7

Mario Tennis has been an evolving franchise since the Nintendo 64, and with each iteration the game gets prettier with slicker graphics and tighter game play, as well as a few new bells and whistles.  Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is the newest iteration in the series.

The most prominent addition the Ultra Smash is the Mega Mushroom, which makes your character explode in size to tower over everything at least triple your original size.  This can be both a blessing or a curse depending on how well good you are in the game.  There are a total of 16 characters available in Ultra Smash, some of which are unlocked through playing the game and completing specific tasks.  The game also sports the ability to level up your Amiibo to the best tennis partner ever, improving both their stats and giving them new skills.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is available now for the WiiU from both retail stores and in the eShop.  The game retails for $49.99.

Today is is MAR10 (Mario) Day! #Mar10Day

pic7

Celebrated by Mario fans each year, the 10th of March is a special day to remember his impact on pop culture, thanks to how the day on the calendar resembles the beloved character’s name. Nintendo is celebrating with fans by listing some of the famous mustached hero’s achievements throughout the past year and by asking fans to participate by tweeting their favorite Mario moments using the #Mar10Day hashtag. So get your tweet on, and tell the world how much you love this feisty Italian plumber.
Mario’s Year in Review:
  • Mario had a big milestone in 2015! He celebrated 30 years since he leaped his way into people’s hearts in 1985’s Super Mario Bros. Fans across the country celebrated with him in this fun video.
  • Nintendo launched Super Mario Maker, a game that lets fans create and share their own Super Mario Bros. levels. So far, 6.2 million levels have been created by fans!
  • Facebook’s engineers celebrated Mario by creating their very own Super Mario Maker levels for fans to play. Check them out here.
  • A special 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo was released in a classic 8-bit design. The limited-edition figure was a tribute to the original Super Mario Bros. game that launched for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.
  • Mario hit the courts with the launch of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U. In the game, fans play as Mario and friends in intense tennis competitions.
  • For the first time, Mario teamed up with his paper version, Paper Mario, in the colorful action RPG Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam for Nintendo 3DS.
  • With the help of his voice actor, Charles Martinet, Mario celebrated the grand opening of the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza.
…and Mario will have more to celebrate in 2016! Competing with his friends in the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is coming to Nintendo 3DS on March 18 (with the Wii U version launching this summer).

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival for the Wii U

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are out own and honest. For more, see “I Disclose”.

pic4

Animal Crossing has been a fan favorite series of games where players try to make their character as happy as possible through a regular routine.  This includes helping friends, making friends, fishing, gardening, and even home designing.  The most recent entry in the series is Amiibo Festival which is described by Director Aya Kyogoku, ” we just wanted Animal Crossing Amiibo [toys]”. We wanted the company to make Animal Crossing Amiibo, so that’s why we made a game that works with them.”

In this regard it is a success- there are eight character amiibos in the Animal Crossing line so far, they include Isabelle, KK, Tom Nook, Mabel, Digby, Lottie, Reese, and Cyrus.  In addition to amiibo compatibility, you can also use the amiibo Animal Crossing cards as well to unlock more game modes and characters in the game.

pic6

This game is similar to Mario Party, but it has a much slower pace so little ones can keep up and follow the action on screen without getting lost in game play.  What we really like about the game is you can save your “happy points” to your amiibo and use them to unlock more costumes.  Also, if you happen to have designed your amiibo’s home using the Happy Home Designer for the Nintendo 3DS, your home design shows up in game as well.

My son loves this game because of the cute animal designs and the ability to carry over your game data from Happy Home Designer into this game.  It has become one of his favorite games- it’s up there with Pokemon if you can believe that. There is precious little he enjoys more then animals, and in this game, it’s all about making them happy and being cute.  What’s better then that?

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival is available now for the Nintendo Wii U. It is sold everywhere games are sold for $59.99 and includes 2 amiibo Animal Crossing characters bundled with the game itself.

Runbow and Yoshi Wooly World

pic3

Runbow is a new game by 13AM Games that brings a fun interesting platforming party game to the WiiU.  In Runbow each player is a different colored character, 9 in total, who each represent a color of the rainbow.  Then the players have to mad dash for the finish line to see who can get there first.  But this is no simple foot race, there are obstacles like moving platforms and lava to get in the way.  This game is made for classic game players who love a challenge and are always trying to make that next jump and time it just right.  As such it may not appeal to very young players who just can get the timing right as easily as those who have been playing platforming, 2D games for years.  The best pat of this game is getting a few players together at once, with 2 it is fun, with more then that it gets frenetic and lots of fun.  I can only imagine how fun this game would be with 9 players at once.

pic4

And on the opposite end of the spectrum is a classic platforming game with a softer more woolly quality.  It is Yoshi’s Woolly World for the WiiU.  This game starts one of the Mushroom Kingdom’s most well loved characters,Yoshi.  This is his first Woolly adventure following in the footsteps of Kirby’s Epic Yarn.  This game is the next step in the evolution of the yard medium.  Each character and environment has a handmade touch that is a joy to see.  From fraying yarn to the illusion of hand cut corners its great fun to play a game with this new setting.  In the game Yoshi must reach the end each level while gathering as many collectibles as possible.  For the beginners just finishing the level will be enough but for the more experienced players collectibles are key.  Each level has its own charm bringing to live a new platforming experience.  Also available are Amiibo extras where you can add a second Yoshi to the fun in the form of Samus, Woolly Yoshi or even Mario. to name a few.

Both these games are great platforming fun Runbow is available at the eShop for 14.99 while Yoshi’s Wooly World is available at retail locations now as well as the eShop for 49.99 for the game alone or win a special pack which includes a Wooly Yoshi for 59.99.

Disney Infinity 3.0 and The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

2015 11 02 lumix 013

Disney is on its third installment of the ever fun Disney Infinity line of games.  This most recent addition to the crew includes not only Marvel and Disney characters but also those of the Star Wars line of characters including Yoda, Darth Vader and Han Solo to name a few.  But this only scratches the surface for this game which is fun for everyone.  This game is great for beginner gamers because of this easy to pick up and play game play.  Each player picks their character from the Disney Infinity figures they own, characters for the previous 2 games work on the third iteration, and play as them throughout the game.  There are specific levels which work with specific characters and all characters can be used in the Toy Box, which is our personal favorite part of the game.  This portion of the game is player created.  People from all over the world can create and share their creations with others and the best are featured as such in the Toy Boxes section of the game.  These Toy Boxes show just how robust the game is as well as how creative the players of the game are as well.  The little guy loves Disney Infinity and the addition of Star Wars characters as well as new Marvel and Disney characters are an added bonus.  This is also a great jumping on point for new players of the series as well, as toys from the previous games in the series work in the Toy Box as well, which is a nice touch.

pic6

We are also going to look at Tri Force Heroes from the legendary, The Legend of Zelda series.  This game has similar game play mechanics and visuals as A Link To The Past but also includes some new ideas like climbing on top of one of your fellow players in order to solve puzzles and attack enemies.  This game is built on the idea of team work, some levels giving each player a different tool, item or weapon in order to solve their own portion of the puzzle, while others have the players work together using the same items.  Either way the levels are a blast to play through and make for a fun way to spend time with friends and 3DS’s .  There are a total of thirty two levels to progress through each a different challenge then the last and each bringing your group closer together in their quest to save the princess from a fashion emergency.

Disney Infinity 3.0 is available for PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Wii U™, Xbox One, Xbox 360 in the Starter Pack which includes: 1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game Disc,1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base, 2 Star Wars™ Figures: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, 1 Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set Piece, and 1 Web Code Card and is available now retailing for $64.99.  The new Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is available only for the Nintendo 3DS and retails for $39.99 and is available at retailers everywhere as well as the 3DS eShop.