Future Update Info

Hey everyone!

          Time for some real talk.  I have not posted anything on here since the Bayonetta 2 review in June.  I have been very busy with work and school as of late and simply have not had much free time to write.  I typically use my free time to play games instead of writing about them.  Over the next few weeks though, I plan on writing severl opinion pieces (probably short posts) about some things I have wanted to talk about recently.  I also have a Xenoblade X review planned when I finish the game (which should happen by the end of the month; the game is huge).  So please look forward to some new content and don't forget about me.


~Bob

Please follow me on twitter  @HitokiriSEVEN to get more information about games I am playing or gaming news.  Feel free to leave comments or suggestions in the comment box below or message me on Twitter.

Bayonetta 2 In-Depth Review

Reviewed by Bob

(Played on Wii U using the Pro Controller)

Platform: Wii U

Developer: Platinum Games

Release Date: September 2014

          Bayonetta 2 is a Wii U exclusive action game. The player takes control of one of the last surviving Umbra Witches: Bayonetta, as she embarks on a journey that takes her into both Heaven and Hell. Along the way she gains many weapons and accessories that help make this game an extraordinarily action packed and fast paced marvel. How does this game fare as one of the Wii U's most violently fun and sexual games? Let’s have a look:

Bayonetta is happy to be back

 

 

          The story takes place shortly after the events of the first game. With the world once again at peace, we find Bayonetta and her short & fat Italian stereotype Enzo shopping in the city. Jeanne arrives telling Bayonetta how both Paradiso and Inferno are strangely quiet. Wouldn't you know it, just then angels attack leading into a brawl that results in Bayonetta losing control of one of her summons causing Jeanne to get her soul knocked out of her. This sets Bayonetta along with Enzo and the lover of Japanese sake Rodin on a path into Hell to rescue Jeanne before her soul is devoured. Along the way we meet a few new comers like Loki and the Masked Lumen and some old favorites like Luka. Plenty of ups and downs in the story and a few plot twists that are pretty easy to see (I wonder who the Masked Lumen is?)

Who is that masked man?

          While confusing at points, the story does a decent job at getting us and Bayonetta where we need to go. In the story, we can see how much more development Bayonetta got as a character. She certainly has one of the strongest personalities for a video game character in recent years. In my opinion, a stronger story when compared to the first, but nothing too special as the story serves mainly as a tool to take us from one place to the next. If anything, the story is kept at a quick pace. Almost no part of it seems to drag.

          The category that can make or break an action game is gameplay. Largely unchanged from the first game, Bayonetta 2 has great controls and plays well. In terms of controls, you get three main fighting buttons with triggers that allow for different maneuvers; the highlight being witch-time which causes momentary slowdown when you dodge an enemy attack. This is critical in harder difficulties and insures that the player doesn't mash buttons in order to win. In general, the game isn't too difficult; even on the hardest default setting, I died only a few times. On the normal difficulty, I didn't die a single time. Unlike the first game, you are no longer punished for using items during a level by having it drastically impact your final score. Due to this, I got almost all gold and platinum trophies on my first playthrough of the game. The overall score takes into consideration the time it took to complete the chapter, the combo score and damage taken.

Yes, you can fight with a chain-chomp

          Looking closer at how the game plays, there are sixteen chapters in addition to the prologue. Each chapter looks different and has different challenges insides. The levels at there core are just areas that lead the player from one battle arena or set piece to the next. You fight, break a seal to continue and fight some more. The game does a good job about adding variety to make this formula stay fresh instead of becoming quickly stale. It does this by adding new bosses and enemy types, puts Bayonetta in flying or driving situations or in a mech just to name a few. At one point she even surfs up a water tornado on a board while battling a giant snake angel.

Just an ordinary day

          Aside from the battles, each stages has collectables such as crows which unlock Miiverse stamps, journal entries, golden LPs for new weapons, witch hearts and moon pearls (for health and magic boosts). Hidden away are the returning challenge portals which task Bayonetta with killing enemies while adhering to certain conditions such as not touching the floor or doing it all in one combo. New to the collectables are Witch tombs that require collecting broken pieces to be collected in a given time before you can open it to get the treasure inside. The gameplay is fast and tight which gives the player a sense of amazement at the fact that the chaos they are creating on screen is all their doing.

          The visuals in this game look amazing for being on the Wii U.  Given the scope of the battles and bosses, the visuals are a nice treat.  Granted, there are some poor textures if you look close enough at certain spots and things clip from time to time (mainly the extra costumes).  Given how the first game was very dark and had a very limited amount of truly colorful and eye-catching stages, the sequel is a massive upgrade.  Most stages are very vibrant and colorful.  Many stages stick out in my memory from when I played this game.  The prologue fight on top of the jet was a spectacular way to start the game.  The first stage in Inferno was memorable along with Chapter 14: The Witch Hunts which puts the player in control of a mech.

Just one of the epic moments in this game

          All in all, the visuals took advantage of the hardware.  This is especially true of the animations.  The game runs smoothly and both character and weapon animations are wonderfully stylish and brutal. 

Don't forget about the many Nintendo costumes in the game

          During my several run-throughs of the game, I didn't encounter any slowdowns and framerate was very consistent.  Most character models also look very polished.  The main characters especially are great looking along with the various enemies; angels look great with their shiny armor and multiple layers as they take damage.  They make for some really grotesque looking creatures.  The NPCs, however, in some stages look pretty minimal.

Don't you dare say that I should do a barrel roll

          The sound and music in this game are utterly fantastic and ear catching. I can't tell you how long the "Moon River" remix and theme were caught in my head. I had to remove them from my favorites list on Youtube for a while just so I couldn't accidentally listen to them and get the songs caught in my headagain. I almost resorted to bashing my head in just to get the music to stop playing. Besides these two tracks, the rest of the music does its job well. Most of the music isn't very memorable, but while you are playing they give you a sense of action and urgency. My only complaint would be at the end of the game when Bayonetta is doing her traditional pole-dance, the original version of "Moon River" plays and it is kind of weird. Aside from the music, the sound effects are well done, the hits seem impactful and the gory sounds pleasant. Voice acting is very well done; the main characters comeacross with real personality and flair (although some of the dialogue is a really cheesy). Overall, the sound is fantastic and the soundtrack would be a good buy in my opinion if only for the two songs I mentioned.

Music sets the mood...

 

                                                         
          The replay value is really strong with this game. There are three starter difficulties withfourth unlocked upon beating "3rd Climax" (hard mode). Your first playthrough will takeabout 12 hours given you aren't rushing through the stages and are searching for the collectables. Your later runs will of course be much fasterbecause you know how to play and where everything is. My first playthrough clocked in at about 13 hours on 2nd Climax while my next on a higher difficulty only lasted 6 hours. Aside from the four levels of difficulty through the 16 stages, there are plenty of items to collect that require a few hours of grinding the same level. You can also challenge yourself to getting Pure Platinum on each chapter, a feat which for me is impossible. There is even a secret boss battle if you save up the maximum amount of halos. This boss is extraordinarily tough and in my opinion cheap as hell. He will kill you with a few hits, even if you have maxed out health. 

I did not.

          After completing the main story for the first time, you also gain access to Witch Trials which are just gauntlets of monsters that increase in difficulty. Lastly, there is the Tag Climax mode which is fun with a partner. You don't really get anything from playing it too much besides a rank which does nothing as far as I can tell. Lot's to do after the credits roll, but if you are looking for something more meaningful besides just a few unlockable items, there is probably no point in coming back to it. The game is so fun however, you might just want the excuse to play more of it.

          This game is incredible. It is amazingly fun, fast-paced and energetic. Bayonetta 2 has a strong personality and is a game that knows exactly what it wants to be and hits every note. Of course, given you aren't too keen on what the game looks like or find its quirkiness too weird, the game has a very nice appeal. The levels are beautiful, the art fantastic, the music catchy, the weapons and animations superb and the pace is near perfect. This sequel improves on the original in every way and outdoes itself. I don't think I have ever played an action game like this before and thought it was THIS good. While I was playing it, I kept thinking to myself "this game is one of the best I have ever played." If you own a Wii U, it would be an injustice not to buy this game. It saddens me to think that many people won’t get a chance because they refuse to purchase the console. This is as close to gaming perfection as it gets for me. Put simply, it does what a game ought to, it lets the player have fun. That being said, I hope there is another sequel down the road. The world would be a better place if we all had some Bayonetta in our lives.

Dollar to Play Ratio: About $2 per hour (29 Hours total)

Do you agree with my review? Post in the comments section and let me know what you think.

Interested in getting daily game news and random things about Japan?  Follow me on Twitter @HitokiriSEVEN

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars In-Depth Review

Reviewed by Bob

(Played on Wii U using the gamepad)

Platforms: Wii U and Nintendo 3DS

Developer: Nintendo

Release Date: March 2015

          The Mario vs. Donkey Kong franchise has been going on for quite some time now and until this game, I have managed to skip every single one.  I picked this one up because I wanted a puzzle game on my Wii U that played differently from the other big title games like Pushmo or Art of Balance.  It is important to also note that this is one of the few games from Nintendo that allows for double downloading.  Inside the case there is a code slip for the game on the other platform (Wii U gives the 3DS code and vice versa).  Is this the Mario puzzle game we have been waiting for? Let's find out.

          The story or lack thereof is told in a single slightly animated panel.  Donkey Kong has stolen something and it is up to Mario to get it back.  I assume that is what happened.  In all honestly, the story was so thin I forgot the plot the moment that little cutscene was over.  All we know is that Mario and his Mini army must go through a number of themed levels to find Donkey Kong.  Why does he have a bunch of Mini versions of characters?  Did DK really steal something?  None of this is answered and I am not sure anyone cares.  The puzzles are the real reason we are here, although it would have been nice to have some story to give more importance to our actions in the rest of the game.

          This is a puzzle game where players must guide mini versions of Mario and his pals around stages collecting all the coins while avoiding hazards.  One of the main gimmicks in this game is creating platforms and walls by connecting two points on the screen.  Needless to say, this is why we can only play using the gamepad or 3DS touchscreen.  The game is divided up into 4 parts:

The Title Screen

1)  Main Game - This is where we start.  The main game gives you six themed worlds with eight stages in each.  As the stages progress, new tools are introduced such as movable pipes, elevator like lifts and an evil robotic monkey that takes control of a Mario mini and tries to kill you.  Upon completing each world, the next unlocks. When you have beaten all six, two extra outer space themed worlds appear.  In each puzzle, your main goal is sending all of your minis to the exit door while collecting coins.  Based on how many coins you collect and how fast you do it, you will get a ranking of bronze, silver or gold.  These reward you with stars (one per grade for a max of three stars).  These stars are used in the community portion of the game.  Most of these stages are pretty easy with only a handful requiring a large amount of brain power to complete.  The ending you get is just as bland as the opening scene with a slightly animated single image. 

The beginning stages are so nice

2) Bonus Stages - The bonus stages are unlocked as you accumulate gold trophies from the main game.  There are 88 trophies in total which unlock 24 bonus stages.  As expected, these are much harder than the main game.  Some of which I would say are near impossible without the use of a guide.  I myself did use a guide on most of them and found it hard just to do what was in the video.  I don't know what Nintendo was thinking when they made some of these because unless you are just naturally gifted at puzzles, the average person cannot do these without an immense amount of time.  From my playthrough, I think I spent about 45 minutes on one puzzle while watching the guide on Youtube.  Maybe I just suck...although I doubt I am the only one.  Upon completion of the main game and bonus stages with all gold, you just get a pop-up congratulatory message which hardly makes it worth the effort. 

Really? How do you figure this stuff out?! Took me like 30 minutes!

 

3) Edit Mode - This mode is where the replay value comes in.  Edit mode allows you to pick from a variety of parts found in the main game and lets you put together stages that are as hard or easy as you like.  But be warned, because you cannot upload them to the community unless you complete them yourself with a gold trophy.  This is also where you can purchase unlock-able parts with the stars you gained from the main game and the community.

Lots of different editing options

4) Community - The community is where the "tipping stars" part of the title comes in. Community is where you gain access to other player's creations.  For each fan-made puzzle, you can comment and use the stamps you have collected.  You can also tip stars.  You get one star for every person who played your level and that person can tip additional stars.  This is the best way to get stars for unlocking the various parts in the editor.  Some of them aren't too expensive while others are outright ridiculous (I'm looking at you 5000 star gold Mario). 

Some of these take forever to earn

 

          In the community, you can find a wide range of puzzles.  Some are art based; others are auto levels where you instantly drop into the goal for a quick and easy three stars.  I myself made 20 of these stages and that is how I unlocked all but the gold Mario part.  For the average person that buys the game now and wants all the parts, I really feel sorry for because the community has shrunk resulting in not many people even seeing the stage you created.  I played for about 20 hours and still need over 4000 stars for my final part.  I didn't like the tipping system too much.  It would have been better if you could unlock parts in both the main game and community.  Lastly, the filters for finding stages are very poor.  You can only look at popular ones, most recent and Nintendo made levels.  You can save any level you want and play them at your leisure.

Only the most popular ones get attention most of the time

 

          The visuals are very simple and clean.  The minis have a nice 3D effect on them and the stages are bright and colorful.  Being a budget release, the visuals are kept simple.  There really isn't anything that sticks out and it lacks a distinct personality.  The 3DS version is the same game, but has downgraded graphics.

Very nice looking Gold Stage

          The sound in the game is ok.  Nothing too good, but nothing that makes you want to mute the TV.  Characters all have voice clips that are pretty cute and a few of the stages have nice relaxing music.  Nothing special, but nice nonetheless.  It suits the game well by keeping everything very light in mood.

          As mentioned before, the editor and community in this game allow for a potentially never ending game.  You can be as creative and challenging in the editor as you want and the amount of created levels is staggering.  While the main game is roughly 8 hours long and even longer if you are going for gold, the other features will keep you busy for a long time.  In Japan, I paid $30 for the disc version which lasted me about 20 hours.  So despite being very frustrating in the later levels, it had a good dollar to hour ratio.  I also can go back to it whenever I want if I have the itch to design a cool new stage.

          In conclusion, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is a decent game that lacks a worthwhile story and has a learning curve in the later levels (especially in Bonus challenges) that will make you want to break the disc and cut yourself with it. The overall display and longevity of the editor and community would make it worth the purchase.  Especially if you have nothing to do until big games like Splatoon or Xenoblade X comes out.  If you like puzzles and want something that helps pass the time and gives you a reason to turn on your Wii U or 3DS, I would definitely recommend this game.

Dollar to Play Ratio: $1 per Hour (28 hours total)

Do you agree with my review? Post in the comments section and let me know what you think.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @HitokiriSEVEN if you enjoyed this article.

Yoshi's Island DS Quickie Retro Review

Reviewed by Bob

Played on a Nintendo 3DS
Platform: Nintendo DS (also on Wii U 's Virtual Console)

Developer: Artoon

Release Date: November, 2006

          Yoshi's Island DS is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Super Nintendo game: Yoshi's Island.  The story goes that Luigi and other babies are being captured by Bowser and it is up to Yoshi and Baby Mario to go through various platforming stages to get them back.  In the DS adventure, there are four new babies that join Yoshi and Mario, each having their own special ability to help gather the three various collectables in each stage (20 red coins, 5 flowers and 30 stars).

Plenty of new babies, plenty of wasted opportunities

          The DS game takes advantage of the dual screens by allowing players to see what is high above or below Yoshi.  The game consists of 5 worlds, each including 8 stages and three unlockable stages that you can obtain by beating the game, gathering a hidden baby coin in each stage or accumulating a certain amount of points by collecting everything in each level. 

The divides don't even match up

 How does this sequel to a beloved classic fare?  Let's look at the pros and cons:

• The visuals are very nice and colorful.  Sprites look and animate very similar to the original SNES game.The music in a few stages are catchy and nice to listen to.  I found myself whistling along with the game several times during my playthrough.
• The stages are varied and for the most part they each offer something slightly different from the previous stages. 
• Four babies means there are different ways to explore the levels.  Adds more variety.
• Plentiful lives.  The player gets extra lives like candy being tossed at a parade.  I ended my playthough with about 226 lives.  I didn't farm lives or anything, the game is just very generous. 
• Has a certain amount of charm to it.

(This is the point where you discover how much I disliked this game)

•   There are only 5 worlds.  This makes the game much shorter than its predecessor.

5 Worlds and 3 Worthless Bonus Stages

•  The game is boring! Boring, Boring, Boring! 
• Granted there are slightly different things in each level, the game is just so bland.  Despite several good music bits, most music just blends into the background.
• The babies allow you to do different things in the stages. However, of the five total babies, only three are with you most of the game.  Wario and Bowser only have about 3-4 stages and then you never see them again.
•  Wario comes in more than 3/4 though the game and Bowser only in the last world. 
• The DS/3DS screen divide is a nightmare.  In some levels, collectables are hidden behind the divide and you miss them.  Sometimes Yoshi was behind the bar during auto-scroll levels which was also nightmarish.  Aiming your eggs past the divide is terrible because the projectile angle slightly moves when past the bar.
• Terrible level design on many stages.  Things like cheap deaths, one hit kills, confusing maze design, etc.  I was mostly angered by the fact that for some flower collectables, you barely get a second to react in order to get it, then you miss it and have no opportunity to get it again unless you kill yourself or restart the whole level.

•  The camera is so zoomed in on you, Yoshi is forced to makes leaps of faith all the time and flying enemies pop out from nowhere and hit you because of your limited vision. 

If I drop down, will I die? Who knows?!

•  Unlockable stages are a waste.  Two of the three are just mini-games to gain more lives (like over 200 isn't enough) and the last are just bonus stages that take the most infuriating parts of the game and combine them into one.  Most of these unlockables just are not worth the time.
• Adult Bowser looks as if he came out of a CD-i game.  He does not fit the rest of the game's art at all.

  

  Silly Bowser, this isn't the CD-i

          As you can tell, I did not like this game.  I wanted to, I really did.  But with the boring gameplay, terrible level design, underutilized characters and lackluster bonuses, the game is really hard to recommend.  If you really love Yoshi and don't mind putting up with very frustrating elements, give the game a try (the cartridge and VC versions are dirt cheap).  If you would like to play a better platformer, there are certainly many out there that are much better than this piece of garbage. 

Total Play Time: 9 hours 30 min

Do you agree with my review? Post in the comments section and let me know what you think.

If you liked this review, please follow me on Twitter @HitokiriSEVEN for daily updates and gaming news.