amphibious_ReViews

With Minish Cap being the only full-size original Zelda game on the Gameboy Advance , Capcom had their work cut out for them. Based on my experience, they were absolutely ready for the challenge. A common theme in Zelda games is the traversal between two parallel worlds, as introduced by A Link to the Past 's dark world. However, I would have never considered how cute, clever, and enjoyable an experience I would have if those worlds were only separated by the hero's size. The Minish Cap  has gameplay that is almost immediately recognizable for anyone who has played a 2d Zelda  game, and it feels very comfortable to jump into. However, additions like Kinstones (allowing players to open up new secrets in the world by matching collectibles with NPC's) and the ability to shrink to the size of a bug help this entry to stand apart. The developers were able to create dungeons that seamlessly combined the abilities of both full-size and mini Link, making the mechanic feel like

Although I love the Legend of Zelda franchise, Phantom Hourglass was a game that I was skeptical about revisiting. This was one of the first titles that I ever played on the DS , and for some reason I was unable to make it past the first run of the temple of the ocean king (granted, I was very young). Ultimately, I traded my copy away for Pokémon Ranger  (a move that I do not regret) and forgot about it for a long time. My attention was brought back to the game when my interest in the franchise was being rejuvenated by Ocarina of Time 3d  and Skyward Sword , but many reviews online recommended skipping it due to the tedious repetition of the temple of the ocean king, as well as the slight annoyance that comes with almost-pure touch-controls. I heeded that warning for a while, but I am currently on a mission to beat every Zelda game, so I needed to play this one eventually. Upon finally playing it, I realized that the touch controls were far from ideal at certain times, but Nint

I was very excited when I had first found this game on Steam (and at a huge discount), so I bought it almost immediately. The  The House of the Dead franchise was my favorite arcade series for a very long time, and other on-rails shooters pale in comparison, so having an adaptation on my PC seemed like a dream come true! Unfortunately, this game just doesn't live up to the legacy of it's numbered companions. The magic that the staple over-the-top story situations bring while plowing down zombies is still present, just in a much smaller capacity. However, where the previous games excelled in delightfully corny (B-movie-esque) acting and stories, Overkill tried something different with a curse every two words and ridiculously uncalled-for sexual jokes and innuendos. For some, that may be a perfect mix, but it isn't floating any of my boats. I'm a sucker for a good story, and the The House of the Dead franchise as a whole doesn't necessarily lead the charge her

Reminiscent of the DOS era video games that it parodies, Peasant's Quest is the hilarious interactive masterpiece from the minds behind homestarrunner.com . Having grown up on the sass and wit of Strong Bad , the humor in this text-controlled adventure was both familiar and surprising, yet completely enjoyable throughout! I played this game alongside a couple friends, and we had an awesome time finding the jokes scattered throughout the small, explorable world. The premise of the game follows Rather Dashing, a peasant wearing short pants, in his quest to take revenge on the dragon Trogdor. Although the game isn't terribly easy, it is short enough to be fully played through in an hour or two, and it definitely makes it worth the time. Without spoiling it, I will say that the ending keeps with the comedic theme, and I had a smile on my face from beginning to end! Plus, it's free and can be played on any flash-supporting browser! Hop on a computer and enjoy your next co

Although it was a relatively short experience, feeling a bit simple at times, The Sacred Cards somehow managed to keep me engrossed from start to finish. I admit, I had my nostalgia glasses on, as this was the first game that I ever actually bought for myself, but the fact that I played it all the way through most be some sort of testament to its quality. The Sacred Cards creates a unique character for the player and sends them through the majority of the show's second season. You visit a variety of locales in order to duel different opponents in the hopes of securing six "locator cards" that will gain you entrance to the finals of Kaiba's Duel Monsters championship. I believe that this biggest draw of this game is the fact that it forces strategy. Although buying or winning powerful cards isn't very difficult, higher value cards require a certain level of skill to be put in your deck. As a result, I found myself forced to plan my deck out between ever

Portal  is one of those games that everybody should give a try. It has such a range of amazing elements to it that everybody can take a little something away from their experience, even if they are just watching someone else play. The story is minimal, but hints about what is truly going on are scattered everywhere, and they open up a whole new understanding of the player's situation. That story gets fleshed out even further in the sequel, and it can get extremely intense! Aside from story aspects, the controls are fluid and the system of portals is extremely intelligent and well executed, with the level design complementing multiple strategies, without being simplistic. Portal takes a look at Half-Life 2 's groundwork, and then flips it on its head to create something fantastic and worth every replay; as well as canonically expanding the Half-Life  universe into something completely unanticipated and unprecedented at the time. Although Portal ends up being a pretty quick

After just reviewing Mario Kart 64 , this review may seem a bit redundant, but I feel like this game definitely deserves to be reviewed anyways because it is too under-recognized. Jumping right in, I found that it takes a second to get used to the controls, due to the GBA having less buttons than either of the preceding systems with an MK  title, but after a slightly-confusing minute of button fumbling, the game is surprisingly well built for a portable platform! Mario Kart: Super Circuit  blends together the feel of both of its predecessors (being Super Mario Kart  and Mario Kart 64 ), as well as blending the technology of SMK  with the interface and track style of MK64 , making it into an exciting racing endeavor for one player, or four if you can find the Gameboys . The racing action is smooth, the menus aren't confusing, and the game is of the utmost quality. If you can get your hands on it, I recommend playing a few cups! The first mobile Mario Kart game is sure to please!

World of Goo is a charming game that is so so much more than it seems it is. It introduces itself as a cute little physics-based puzzle game in which you use goo-balls of different varieties to build towers to oddly located tubes in order to complete a level, but through toying with the secrets scattered throughout the levels, and working through the unique levels, it becomes apparent that it has much more to offer than just pristine gameplay. The problem is, anything I let slip about what truly completes this game is one less thing to be appreciated by playing it. The most I can say is this: With the combination of a charming (and occasionally disturbing) art style, an unfaltering control-to-technique pairing, music set perfect to every situation, and a surprising amount of story to back it all up, this game is one that shouldn't be missed, and if you are reading this right now, you probably have something that you can play it on. Get to it! Have some fun, and when you are don

When it comes to war-themed-hat-simulators, this is the best there is. If you were to combine the amazing gameplay that I raved about with TFC , a violent but hilarious sense of humor, a completely unnecessary (but surprisingly awesome) backstory, and hats, lots and lots of hats, you would get Team Fortress 2 ! Valve 's beautiful triumph of free-to-play gold. The real excitement in this game comes out of the many game modes presented to players. Each game mode brings a new feeling or possible set of tactics to the table without ever letting players get lazy. The goals often require a lot of teamwork and some self-coordination, but never ever seem to crazy or too out of hand to be fun. The achievements are also a fun touch, with there being 518 of them at the time this was written, and each of them pushing the player to spend some time improving themselves... or doing something utterly ridiculous (and often hilarious). Overall, this game is a great time-waster, and I definitel

 I have a long and delightful history with the Plants Vs. Zombies franchise, starting with the Nintendo DS , crushing Dr. Zomboss like no tomorrow, and growing the Tree of Wisdom into a behemoth of unparalleled proportions. But that was a long time ago. Since then, the series has branched into a sequel, a Facebook  game, two shooters, and soon a mobile card game! And this franchise hasn't been growing for no reason, either. Plants Vs. Zombies  starts out as a fun take on the tower defense genre, but it is much more than just another time waster. The combination of exciting gameplay, crisp art, goofy humor, and a slew of mini games and achievements that keep you playing make this game fresh and fun no matter how much you play it. And for the low, low price of FREE on mobile devices, there is almost no reason why it shouldn't be in your pockets at all times. I may sound like I am trying to market the game in this review, and that is because I am. Not because I'm get