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Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Dragon Quest VII: Fragments Of The Forgotten Past’

by Natalie KipperOctober 4, 2016

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past is a long game. I mean, a really long game. Thankfully, the title is worth the commitment. As one would expect from a remake of a Super Famicom RPG, Dragon Quest VII rocks it old school-style. We are talking level grinding, a huge world map, and lots and lots of turn-based battles.

I say “huge world map” but in the start of the game, the world is limited to a single island in a vast sea. As you continue on your sojourn back and forth through time, additional islands appear. The towns and dungeons housed on these islands are varied in theme and not a single one felt bland, visually at least. The game did however seem recycle the same several music tracks for towns and castles. For goodness’ sakes, there was a Middle Eastern-themed town that had the same music as the French village. It was disappointing when there was such a great opportunity for regional music variations.

Battles in the game are not random, thankfully. Monsters are visible on the map and making contact with one will trigger a battle. I will say there have been many instances of monsters popping up where my character is standing, which was a bit of a surprise.

Thanks to the Vocation system, in which you gain access to abilities and additional jobs through the completion of battles, I found myself actually seeking out monsters to fight in hopes of increasing my mastery of a vocation. I loved that each vocation changed how your character looked, too. It was a small touch but added to the fun. Finding a mix of vocations for your party that fits your immediate needs may take some tweaking but it is a rewarding experience.

The vehicle for your party’s previously-mentioned time travel are tablet pieces scattered across the world (hence the “Fragments of the Forgotten Past” subtitle) that when reassembled in the Shrine of Mysteries add a link to an undiscovered island’s past. Finding them isn’t hard for the most part, thanks to the a special Fragment Finder gifted to the main character that lights up the upper-left corner of the bottom Nintendo 3Ds screen when one is nearby. The closer your character is, the more rapidly it blinks.

One thing I was disappointed in was how long it took to unlock the much-advertised Monster Meadows feature of the game. You have access to the main hub area relatively early but it doesn’t begin to function until much, much later. I am talking about 40-plus hours into the game. It was frustrating that a feature so hyped on the game’s promo site remained unavailable for such a long stretch of time.

You do get the chance to experience one of the benefits of Monster Meadows, the Travelers’ Tablets, through the Download Bar at the Haven (available relatively early on) and by finding reformed monsters in towns you have visited. The Tablets received from the reformed monsters are on par difficulty-wise with the level of monster you currently face in the story. Nintendo’s DLC Tablets at the Download Bar, however, are substantially more difficult. I wouldn’t even bother with them until after you have access to the Vocation system.

In terms of Dragon Quest VII‘s level of difficulty, I would rank it on par with the majority of RPGs coming out these days. There are some trying battles that will require taking some time to level-up before challenging but on the whole, I didn’t find it too taxing. The only stressor was needing to find save points. For a portable game with long dungeon segments, there really should be a “save-anywhere” feature. You can, in theory, suspend your data temporarily with a “quick save” but the game limits the areas where you can perform that action.

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past for the Nintendo 3DS gets a 4 put of 5. If you have the time to invest in the title, you will find a rich story with plenty to offer. Just don’t expect all the features to be available right away.

Geekscape Games Reviews: No Man’s Sky (PS4)

by PandageddonnnAugust 15, 2016

So what’s all this talk about No Man’s Sky?

Developed by Hello Games, No Man’s Sky was released on August 9th for the Playstation 4 (with a delayed release to Windows PC’s via Steam.) No Man’s Sky is an exploration survival game, set in a (basically) infinite procedurally generated galaxy, each planet with their own unique habitat set with fauna, flora, minerals, and other resources. Your goal is to reach to the center of the universe, by request of a mysterious force called Atlas, though if you don’t want to sit through playing the story, you are more than welcome to pave your own path and explore the universe as you please.

When I first heard about this game during their announcement in the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), I was awed and excited. A space exploration game where you could endlessly traverse through countless planets? Where you can play with millions of people and still make discoveries no one else has made, discover planets that are yet undiscovered by the other players? Yes, sign me up!

As the release date came closer, more announcements were made. Naming planets, along with their respective flora and fauna. Space battles. Other sentient life forms, and learning their languages. Oh man, this game was going to be insane!

Finally, the release came. I bought it immediately. I popped out the disk and started the game up on my Playstation.

The first thing I saw was a vast terrain of unusual plants, minerals and creatures. As my camera turned, I saw my space ship, damaged and broken.

My first task was to gather resources to rebuild my ship.

After roaming around the planet searching for materials, I finally rebuilt my ship to working condition. I had to tread wearily, as planets can have hostile life forms. Sentinels act as security guards on each planet, keeping a watchful eye on me as I mined for ore. Sometimes they would attack me if they deemed me hostile. I can attack them for titanium but sometimes it was best to run away before reinforcements were called in.

Eventually, I was led on a journey to rebuild my ship well enough to warp to farther planets, and along the way, I found alien monoliths. I learned words for certain alien races, and even interacted with a few aliens, though I had a hard time understanding what they said, I only knew so many words of their language. And while I don’t know what Atlas is (yet), I’m sent on a mission by Atlas to travel to the center of the universe, with the aid of aliens, technology, and black holes.

Entrance to a black hole.

As you continue exploring the game, you’ll find upgrades for your exosuit, gun (called a Multitool), and ship. You will even come across distress signals where you may find another ship you can rebuild. You can even buy ships from traders and sellers.

Buying and selling with other life forms, such as the Vy’keen.

So how do I like this game? It was everything I expected (and almost everything that Hello Games said it was going to be). Smooth controls, simple interface, insanely gorgeous graphics, and a wonderfully vast map of planets to explore. This game ended up to be much more realistic than I expected. Without a pulse engine and booster, some spots on the map might take you days (in real real-time) to walk or fly to. You have to constantly mine for energy materials to charge your life support system and blasters and fuel your ship. You could get attacked by hostile creatures that want to eat you or even befriend a friendly creature that will help you find rare resources on the planet you are on. Make friends with sentient species, or defend a ship sending out a distress signal within a battle in space. All these little things make this game so much more interactive, it truly draws you in.

I have yet to encounter any other players yet, though it has been confirmed that two players have managed to meet, a mind-boggling feat.

No Man’s Sky scores a cool 4.5/5. It’s a masterpiece, a game with a strong (yet subtle) story, yet versatile enough to where players can choose their own path and carve out their own story. With gorgeous scenery and immersive gameplay, this is easily one of the best games I’ve played to date (and I cannot wait to keep playing).

Let me know what you think! Do you like this game or not? And why?

Arcade Review: Cobra Arcade and Bar

by Matthew MorrellJune 5, 2016

American Arcades are Reborn!

If anyone’s ever had that moment while being harassed by some troll online in the comfort in their own home and said to themselves, “Where the hell are all the adults who play video games?”

Cobra Arcade and Bar in downtown Phoenix, Arizona is that place.

To verify this claim, this field reporter spent his Saturday trekking over 700 miles into hell’s front porch, Phoenix, Arizona. Temperatures reached a soul crushing 114 degrees. Expectations for whether or not this little pub was worth it began to climb.

Located just a stone’s throw away from the Phoenix Convention Center, this bar immediately exceeded those expectations. It is exactly what you’ve been looking for: a haven for gamers who grew up in the classic arcade era. Of course, if you’re at least over twenty-one they’ll let you in regardless of your recollection of the eighties and nineties. That being said, the nostalgia factor is strong in this most beautiful of bars.

She's not looking down on you, she's wondering, "What took you so damn long to come home?" — She’s not looking down on you, she’s wondering, “What took you so damn long to come home?”

Beautiful is by no means an over exaggeration (Nor was this field reporter paid to be this flowery). Even before you enter, a gorgeous black and white mural, wooden patio deck, and the delicious scent of the food-truck-of-the-week welcomes you in. Your senses aren’t lying, you’re home now.

Inside, situated underneath what looks like the engines of the Rebel Blockade Runner from Star Wars, you’ll find bartenders frantically running orders. Two huge flat-screens will play whatever happens to suit the night best; Heavy Metal, Planet of the Apes ‘68… you name it. Crammed in the corner is a live DJ spinning a perfect mix of eclectic, and kinetic tracks to mash buttons to.

Even on the busiest of nights (Saturday post Arizona Comic-Con), everyone is greeted, served, and given the time of day by friendly staff. Their in house cocktails are second to none (try an Invader). Or if you want a plain brew, they’ve got plenty to choose from along with a rotating list of ciders and beers. Take your pick from a respectable wine list too. Or, if you just really need the caffeine, Cobra’s got you covered.

What Cobra real boils down to however is that it’s far beyond a bar that just happens to have arcade games. It is without question equal parts bar as it is arcade. Among the handful of people this writer spoke with, the only criticism that could be given was a lack of racing games, and only one shooter to speak of (None other than the OG CarnEvile). But, that’s hardly a factor if you’re busy sinking quarters into TMNT: Turtles in Time, The Simpsons, or an intense two on two game of NBA Freaking Jam.

They even had Space Harrier. You heard me. Space. Harrier.

Well worth the loss of many a quarter #humblebrag

Seriously, feast your eyes upon the official list here and tell me, are you not entertained?

What was even better than the astounding selection of games, was once again, Cobra cares about their cabinets and the gamers who use them. From open to close while present, this report found NONE of the games Out of Order. None of them. Street Fighter II had a weird joystick issue going on at one point. Within mere moments, an In-House Tech had surgically opened the cabinet, healed it back to good, and players were kicking ass until last call. When the token machine ran out of tokens, a heartbeat had passed before it was refilled again.

So if you’re asking yourself, is it worth to escape the comfort of the ole’ homestead console or PC and venture outside? Deep down in your heart of hearts, you’re craving a friendly environment, delicious drinks, and an expertly curated collection of game cabinets. Cobra Arcade and Bar is the second home you’ve be searching for.

Cash in a sick day or two.

Go there now.

Matthew B. Morrell

Geekscape Games Reviews: Odin Sphere Leifthrasir

by Natalie KipperJune 1, 2016

[This review is based on a sample provided by the publisher.]

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a remastered version of the original Odin Sphere, which was released on the Playstation 2 way back in the day (well 2007). Created by Vanillaware and published by Atlus, the action RPG was heralded as one of the prettiest games of its era. I somehow managed to miss out on playing the original, so I was particularly pleased to hear about Leifthrasir‘s release. As mentioned in a previous article, this new edition features updated graphics, additional mini-bosses, and tweaks to the combat system. While I can’t compare the previous version to this one, I can review the game at face value with a pair of fresh eyes. Note: I played the game on my Playstation Vita.

The game is broken up into storylines focused on the five main characters: Gwendolyn, Cornelius, Mercedes, Oswald, and Velvet. The heroes’ backstories tie together, leading them to cross each others paths at certain points. The overlying story focuses on a great war between the nations of Erion, the game’s world. The plot was moving, but not overly dramatic and was the main thing that enticed me to continue playing during long gaming sessions. The notes and memos scattered throughout the realm’s battlegrounds help flesh out the game world’s mythology.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a side-scrolling, action RPG. The areas are broken down into different stages, some filled with standard baddies or the larger, more imposing mini-bosses (with one room for the main boss). Other rooms can be designated “Rest Areas” or be tucked-away treasure rooms, occasionally housing a weapon skill-unlocking Phozon Prism. Finding these special items can be as easy as beating a required boss or as tricky as finding a hidden room. In the case of the latter, you are given vague hints in the “skill” menu as to its location.

Battles are fast-paced and require you to make use of blocking and breaking your enemies’ guard, “juggling” your opponents in a mid-air assault, and using available skills as well as alchemic potions. You learn on the go for most of it but there are mini-tutorials on occasion. In regards to alchemy, mixing up potions is simply a matter of either following the recipes (which you will find on the field) or trial and error. I found several mixtures to particularly helpful at certain points, particularly Shine and Restore.

By powering up Phozon Prisms with the phozons you acquire from felling foes, you can tailor your hero to match your fighting style. For example, some skills are more tactical in nature and rely on your character or the enemy to be positioned a certain way to be effective. Character abilities, which can be acquired by spending orbs earned through leveling up, further the tailoring process. You can focus on making your hero more defensive or offensive or even spend you orbs to unlock a discount at merchants. It is a fun aspect to the game that makes playing feel more personalized.

Now, I can’t speak for how the original looked back in the PS2 days but holy cow, the Vita version is eye candy at its finest. Between the fluid animation, colorful graphics, and the storybook-like art style, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. And some of the food looked good enough to eat! The production values felt high overall, with tons of voice acting and a beautiful soundtrack.

I tend to be hesitant to pick up action RPGs because of my poor “gaming reflexes.” But I urge anyone who is even mildly interested in the title to pick it up. I certainly enjoyed my time with the title. What’s more, I can’t find a single thing wrong with it. I believe that earns Odin Sphere Leifthrasir a 5 out of 5.

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Yo-Kai Watch’

by Natalie KipperNovember 24, 2015

I’ve heard a myriad of people liken Level-5’s latest RPG, Yo-kai Watch, to the ever-popular Pokémon franchise. And looking at superficially, I suppose I could see what they mean. The game begins with a pre-teen hero in a small town (whose gender you can select at the start). And yes, there are over 200 “monsters,” or rather Yo-Kai, available to do battle in your stead during the fighting sequences. But if you look even the slightest bit deeper, you’ll find a journey that stands tall on its own merits.

The plot of Yo-Kai Watch is far more light-hearted than most that I’ve come across this year (especially as far as RPG’s go). Your hero, we learn, has a love of bug-catching (and a bout of laziness) and after one particular outing near the local mountain shrine, comes across a rusty old gachapon machine (the ones where you insert some currency and out pops a totally Pokeball-looking capsule) begging you to “feed it.” Being the curious young person that you are, the hero inserts a coin and, in return, is rewarded with the self-proclaimed “Yo-Kai butler,” Whisper. The cartoony ghost creature then gifts them with the Yo-Kai Watch, a device that allows the hero to see and befriend wandering Yo-Kai.

The soundtrack is also charming, if somewhat forgettable. The only melody I can summon from memory is the catchy battle theme. The other issue is the lack of musical variety in the game. I was, however, thoroughly impressed with how many soundbites there were for the Yo-Kai during battle. When using techniques and special moves or even just switching them into the field, I was frequently treated with a phrase from the user.

The locales in the game, for the most part, have a Japanese aesthetic as one would expect given that the game seemingly takes place in Japan. I particularly liked that every house has a genkan next to the front door to leave your shoes. It is little touches like that show how much love was put into this title. I loved how Level-5 chose to make the locations more welcoming; no spooky, blood-stained walls or creepy dolls here.

Like many role-playing games, you have access to a only a small area towards the start of the game and your world expands as the story progresses. And while Yo-Kai Watch‘s map may seem smaller than other titles out there, I didn’t mind. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore in every section of the town that I found myself spending hours in one neighborhood, simply exploring.

The main mechanics of Yo-Kai Watch center around finding and befriending Yo-Kai. You may encounter Yo-Kai in a story-related event, during a side quest, or simply from looking in hiding places like under cars and vending machines or in rivers and trees. They may even be found out in the open in certain areas. Engaging a Yo-Kai involves holding the cursor, or lens, over the hiding creature until the Yo-Kai Watch’s meter fills up. This may sound easy enough but later in the game, those Yo-Kai move quickly and sporadically and, if the Yo-Kai evades the cursor long enough, the meter will drop and eventually reset. I found that stylus worked best later on but you can get by using the analog nub to control the cursor for at least the first few hours.

The battle system is a fun mix of smart AI-influenced teammates and special actions, usually involving the stylus. Those actions could initiate your yo-kai’s special “Soultimate” ability by tapping bouncing orbs, tracing shapes, or spinning a circle. Similar activities are involved in “purifying” your Yo-Kai of status ailments. If you want to sit back and let the AI take over, but you don’t want the fight to drag on, a simple press of the “X” button puts the battle in fast forward (this function can be used even if you intended to use the stylus as well).

Battles also serve as a means to recruit Yo-Kai. Making friends with them post-battle can be influenced by gifting them their favorite foods during the fight. Certain Yo-Kai skills also increase the likelihood of a successful recruitment. This feature added another layer of strategy because figuring out what type of food to give them was at times puzzling. Sure, it stood to reason that kappa prefer vegetables like cucumber, but figuring out many Yo-Kai’s preferences were based solely on trial and error.

Yo-Kai Watch is one meaty game, chock-full of side quests and NPC requests. Taking on these extra challenges will earn you experience points, money, items, and occasionally a new Yo-Kai companion. The menus for keeping track of tasks is similar to one of Level-5’s other RPGs, Fantasy Life, with tabs for each quest/request which display a quest summary and your progress towards your goal.

The one aspect that I didn’t particularly like was Terror Time. It’s a random nighttime event that send the hero into an alternate world, filled with a giant Oni and their smaller lackeys. You’re forced into a stressful round of hide and seek as you make your way to the zone’s exit. Good luck getting those treasure chests hidden in the area. I have only managed to collect two and both times, I was later caught by the boss and beaten. Thankfully, this does not lead to a game over but rather starts you back at your bedroom. It is more an annoyance than anything else.

To sum up, I give Yo-Kai Watch for the Nintendo 3DS my seal of approval. Weak music selection and Terror Time aggravation aside, the title is one that I have enjoyed playing more than 90 percent of the other releases this year. I’ve recently switched it to be “My Favorite Game” on my 3DS profile on My Nintendo, so if that doesn’t speak of the quality of content, I don’t know what does!

Yo-Kai Watch scores a cool 4.5/5! Will you be picking it up? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Super Mario Maker’

by The_aczSeptember 18, 2015

It’s hard to believe that the Super Mario Bros. Series has been platforming into our living rooms for thirty years.

Released on September 13^th 1985, Super Mario Bros. has gone to become one of the most popular video games to date. It even went on to sell over 40 million copies and spawn endless spin-offs and sequels that continue to this very day. Even Mario himself has become one of the most recognizable icons in history. Flash forward 30 years, and fans are finally getting one of their biggest wishes granted with Super Mario Maker.

Super Mario Maker is Nintendo’s love letter to the Mario series and fans alike, allowing anyone to make their own 2D Mario levels from scratch. What really makes this game special is that not only can you make your own levels from the original Mario, but you can also choose art styles from its most popular iterations. These include classics such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and even New Super Mario Bros. U. There’s also a wealth of locations to choose between including above ground, underground, underwater, ghost house, air ship, and bowser’s castle.

Today's Fuel Economy -By Josh — Today’s Fuel Economy -By Josh

The tool layout is very simple to pick up and use. All you do is tap on an item you want to use and you can summon that item at will. Most items are usable in all art styles excluding a couple of items. These include the goomba shoe in Mario 1 and Mario 3, turning into Yoshi eggs in Mario World and Mario U, and the Mystery Mushroom (more on that in a second) turning into each art styles specific flying item. Mario 3 has the Raccoon Leaf, Mario World has the Cape, and Mario U has the Propeller Hat.

One of the most fun additions to Super Mario Maker has to be the inclusion of the Mystery Mushroom. By tapping a corresponding Amiibo, or completing a run in 100 Mario Challenge (A mode where you adventure through randomly generated user levels) you can unlock a special character outfit for Mario to use in the original Super Mario Bros. theme. Want to go through a level as Donkey Kong, Samus, Kirby, or even Megaman? Well now you can! Just playing 100 Mario Challenge to see what character you’ll unlock next will have you occupied for a long time to come considering that there’s about 100 different costumes.

Now to the part everyone’s been waiting for: the user generated content. Content is separated by 100 Mario Challenge, Courses, and Makers. Courses can be sorted by featured, top rated, and up & coming. They can also be searched by difficulty, but not name, location or time period even though the options are there. This is one of the biggest flaws in the game since if you want to play a specific level from someone, you have to be either following them, or enter a 16 digit code. I’m really hoping for an update that can add a better search engine because as it is right now, it’s kind of useless.

Even aside from the search engine problems I still have a couple of minor complaints with the title. For starters, Even though there’s a nice amount of objects and enemies to use, there are still some really iconic items missing from the game. These include not being able to make slopes, as well as there being no Desert or Forest levels as well as the exclusion of popular enemies such as the Angry Sun and the Charging Chucks. There’s also a problem with content creation item unlocks.

The game starts you off with only one row of objects and enemies, and from there you have to gradually create for 5 minutes for 9 days in a row, or spend time nonstop creating every 15 minutes. While I understand this is done to prevent younger children from getting too overwhelmed with the pallet, it would have been nice to at least have an option to start with everything. This option could have allowed veterans to jump straight into the more advanced techniques.

Overall, Super Mario Maker is one of the Wii U’s best offerings right beside Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Super Smash Bros, Bayonetta 2 and more! Creating levels is very easy and the tools are very accessible to all ages. The complaints I have about it aren’t enough to ruin the experience and I can see myself already planning more stages to create and play. Even if you aren’t a creator, there are still a boat load of original and creative levels that’ll keep you playing for months and even years to come (perhaps I’ll highlight some of my favorites sometime.)

Bowser's Construction Issues -By Jirard — Bowser’s Construction Issues -By Jirard

Rating: 4/5, BUY IT!!

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Shiftlings’

by The_aczAugust 15, 2015

Sierra is a company near and dear to my heart. Besides Rare, they were my first introduction into the world of videogames. Founded in 1980, by Ken and Roberta Williams, Sierra would go on to create such classic adventure and puzzle games such as The Incredible Machine, Leisure Suit Larry, King’s Quest, and many more. Sadly, the company has been missing for the last 6 years. Fear not though, because just last year, Sierra has re-opened their doors and is ready to start making new memories with a brand new generation of gamers. This brings us to one of their first new outings, Shiftlings.

This Adventure Puzzle game is about 2 alien janitors who are connected together by a cord and can inflate themselves at will. Together, they will travel across 5 different planets and 50 levels to overcome all odds. Oh, did I also mention that they’re being recorded as part of a reality TV show called Shiftlings? Weird, huh? So, can Shiftlings re-capture the fun and quirkiness that Sierra games of old had?

Art Style & Sound

Art style in the game is very nice. All the backgrounds for all the different levels and worlds are nicely textured and extremely bright and colorful. Even in the most basic asteroid space level the colors pop out nicely and really help make the levels and worlds feel different. Sound effects are very animated; making the game feel like it’s straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. To further help with that is the music, which is very ambient and help sets the tone that these 2 janitors are all alone on these planets. There are also cut scenes, which are very well animated and voice acted. They help break up the game in certain sections and provide just enough laughs to keep you going to the next.

Gameplay & Negatives

The gameplay in Shiftlings is easy to learn, but difficult to master. At any point in a level you can switch which characters to move and which one to inflate. You can also move both of them at once in order to bounce across large gaps and collect hidden collectible cola bottles in each level. As you steadily progress, the game starts introducing new mechanics such as doors, rotating platforms, and many more. And what kind of Sierra game would this be if there weren’t a variety of death animations? Everything from getting electrocuted, to being incinerated by flames and you’ll want to die as many times as you can. You also have a narrator voice commenting on each of the levels you play and that really helps cement the fact that this is a reality TV show.

While the game excels in many places mentioned above, there are some problems with it. One of the biggest problems is its difficulty. There are some cases where it can ramp up a little too fast, and that may cause novice players to get a little too frustrated with the game. The controls can also be a bit confusing when first starting the game, but after a while you will settle into them.

Final Thoughts & Rating

Shiftlings is a very smart, if not difficult, puzzle game that really re-captures the magic of what made Sierra such an unusual and fun company. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the game and recommend it to expert puzzle fans, I’m not quite sure if novice players would find it easily accessible. In this case I’d recommend downloading a demo of it since it’s on all major platforms with the exception of Wii U (sorry Nintendo fans the E-shop doesn’t have a demo of it.) If you still like it afterwards, then I whole heartedly recommend picking the game up.

FINAL RATING: 3/5. Try it first, then buy it.

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Rare Replay’

by The_aczAugust 7, 2015

One of the first games I remember playing as a kid was 1994’s Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. I spent countless months playing the game alongside my older brother. We’d constantly spend every day after school trying to find every bonus room we could while taking turns trying to beat those now infamous mine cart levels. All those memories and more were thanks to a then fairly new company called Rareware.

Replay collection — All 30 games in Rare Replay in one image. That’s a lot of games.

This year, Rare (now owned by Microsoft) is celebrating their 30^th anniversary of being in the video game business. To celebrate this amazing milestone, they’ve gone and compiled their 30 best games from the past 30 years, all into one package for the shockingly low value of $30. Everything from their spectrum games like Jetpac and Sabrewulf, to their newest outings such as Viva Piñata and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. To sweeten the deal even further, they’ve gone and added a challenge mode where you can play specific parts of classic era rare games in order to earn stamps. Those can then be used to watch exclusive behind the scene interviews with some of the brilliant minds responsible for these most beloved franchises.

This time, instead of doing a normal review where I talk about all aspects of the game, I thought I’d try something different with Rare Replay seeing as how a lot of people have already played these games before. So for this review, I’ll be going through my favorite games of each key Rare era. Let’s begin.

Spectrum Era: Jetpac

This was probably one of the trickiest categories to choose because the Spectrum games shown in this collection are really odd. Most of them require an immense amount of fast-twitch skill and trial and error. That is, except for Jetpac. Jetpac is the Spectrum game that you’ll be playing the most out of the collection, and there’s a reason for that. The gameplay is super simple, and plays more like an arcade game than anything else. Your goal in the game is to find the missing pieces of your rocket ship so you can get home. Each level randomizes the layout and enemy structure so the experience is always fresh and new. You’ll be spending countless hours blasting away at aliens while you’re trying to get the last tank of gas into your rocket for liftoff.

Nes Era: Battletoads

As much as Rare Replay has introduced me to new NES titles from their library, Battletoads is still the pinnacle of Rare’s early Nintendo years before they became the 2^nd Party we all know and love. Once you start the game, you get dropped into the action immediately, but unlike the spectrum games, you don’t feel vulnerable. Since it’s a beat em up, you already instinctively know how the game works. Run, jump, and beat em up! Not only is the first level a great introduction, but it slowly teaches you about the game so you can be prepared for the increase in difficulty after each level. The difficulty of the game dose increase fast, but it never seems unfair or not fun. especially since Rare has added a new feature that softens the blow. In any game up until the end of the NES/Battletoads Arcade era, you have the option of holding down the left trigger, which activates a rewind feature that you can use to rewind your game for up to 10 seconds. Never again will you struggle with the infamous turbo tunnel. Don’t let this feature fool you though, because this game is still as tough today as it was back then. 10 Seconds may save you one time, but it may be too late for others.

N64 Era: Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Coming into the N64 era, there was a lot to consider. This is the era that Rare really shined the brightest in terms of quality and quantity. While many are eager to crown Banjo Kazooie as the top spot, this is not the case with me. In my opinion, Conker outshines every other title in this era to prove that over 10 years later this once overlooked gem has become one of the most infamous and controversial games of its time. Everything from foul mouthed animals and barn equipment, to a pile of singing poo and a giant sunflower with rather large “stigmas”, really set up a game that in no way wants you to take it seriously. Not to mention the introduction of “Context Sensitive” gameplay where you conveniently find and use tools that you need in that moment of time. Throw in a fun 4 player split screen multiplayer with plenty of game modes to keep you interested, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day easily earns the title of the best N64 era Rare game.

Xbox Era: Viva Piñata

Out of all of the eras and games in this collection, the Xbox era stuck out to me the most from all the others. This comes from the fact that I had constantly heard about the games in this era, but never had the chance to play them. The only game from this section that I had played was Grabbed by the Ghoulies, which I think is an underrated gem. I was also eager to finally try out the mixed received Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. In the end, it ended up being a toss-up between N&B and Viva Piñata. Nuts & Bolts was going to be crowned winner, but sadly the game was still suffering from some pretty bad frame dropping in the hub world. I was hoping for them to fix this problem when I played it earlier this year at comic con (hopefully it gets fixed in a future patch). I’m happy to say that Viva Piñata is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever played. All you do is create a garden for growing and harvesting piñatas, but it’s got that rare charm that makes it a step above the rest. Never have I spent so much time watering plants and tilling my land in order to attract the most beautiful and rare Piñata creatures. Top that off with classic rare humor and an absolute mouthwatering score from composer Grant Kirkhope and you have yourself one of the best and most addicting games to come out of the company PERIOD.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, I can’t say enough good things about Rare Replay that everyone else has already said. This is possibly the best collection of games ever compiled. $30 is a steal of a price for how much value that both gamers, and non-gamers will be getting out of it. If you have an Xbox One, you owe it to yourself to buy this amazing package and see what all the hubbub is about.

Rating: Buy

Geekscape Games Review: ‘The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth 3DS’

by The_aczJuly 26, 2015

Editor’s Note: It should be stated that the handheld version of The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth is only available to New 3DS owners due to technical limitations with the regular 3DS/2DS systems.

After almost a year of fan outreach and many private discussions with them, Nintendo owners have been finally graced with The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth for the Wii U and New 3DS. Created back in September of 2011 for the PC, The Binding of Isaac follows a young boy named Isaac, who escapes into his basement after his religious mother is told by God himself that she must kill her own son to prove her loyalty to him. With 6 playable characters, and more than 100 different items and dungeon possibilities, the original game went to sell over 2 million copies as well as receive a DLC pack which added an additional 100+ items, a new character, and much more.

Now with Rebirth, on top of everything mentioned above the game has received a graphical upgrade as well as an additional 4 characters, another 100-200+ items, and even more things that would take me this entire review to talk about. So, now that the game has finally been reborn on Nintendo systems, was the wait really worth it? The answer without a doubt is a big resounding YES! Not only is The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth just as addicting as ever, but a couple of tweaks and changes made to the handheld version make the 3DS the definitive Binding of Isaac experience.

Art Style

Let’s start with visuals. The game’s 16-Bit visual art style is just as beautiful on the 3DS as it is on the home console versions. All of the characters are nicely animated and the paper drawing cut scenes during the intro and ending of the game provide a charm to the overall presentation. There are also fully animated endings for every attainable finale, each looking very crisp and smooth. You can tell a lot of effort was put into making the visuals the best they can to fully take advantage of the New 3DS’s hardware.

Gameplay and Controls

The gameplay also makes the game stand out from the rest. The game plays as a top down roguelike dungeon crawler. Think of a game entirely based of the dungeons from The Legend of Zelda, but each time you play, the entire dungeon is different. Everything from the dungeon layout, to the items, enemies, and even bosses promises a brand new experience each time you start the game. You can however, play some of them over again. The game has a feature where it gives you a special seed code that you can enter to always get that layout. This is good if you’re hoping to speed run the game or just practice a specific enemy or boss attack pattern.

The controls help on delivering a satisfying experience. You can move and shoot 2 different ways. Moving is done using the circle and the D-pads, while shooting uses the 4 main face buttons and even support for the New 3DS C-stick. L places a bomb, and R activates secondary items such as pills tarot cards, and plying cards. If none of these control options suit you that’s fine. Controls are completely customizable so change and test them to your heart’s content.

Replayability

In terms of replayability, the possibilities are endless. Every time you finish the game, the next run gets just a tad bit longer. From there, the basic length time stretches from about 30 minutes to 45 minutes to possibly even an hour. The game has 16 endings and an epilogue. Trying to get them all will lead to the most frustrating and fun times you’ll have with this game.

Negatives

Now for all of its positives, there are also some negatives about the game that could heavily influence your decision. For one thing, the local co-op that was present in the console versions of the game is no longer here. This may disappoint many, but I don’t mind it since I don’t really think it was very well implemented to begin with. What also surprised me was that there was no support for stereoscopic 3D in the game which I think is a missed opportunity. Hopefully we can get a future patch to add that.

Verdict:

At the end of the day, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth for the New Nintendo 3DS is the most satisfying Isaac experience to date. If this is your first time playing this award winning indie game or wondering which version to get, there should be no doubt. Portability alone is a good enough reason to buy this game. Heck, I’m still playing the game as we speak. Now all we have to hope for is for the future Afterbirth DLC to come to the system.

Final Rating: Buy

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is now available on the Nintendo E-shop for $15.