I don’t have much to say this week. I still have to work on my portfolio and get all pretty looking for possible employers.
I went on a shopping spree a few days ago. Specifically I was looking for DS games. My Nintendo DS has completely replaced all the books on my nightstand. Before I go to bed, I’m tapping away with my stylus instead of turning pages. Hell, the DS is the best system of this entire generation.
But that’s neither here nor there. What was I talking about?
Oh right, yeah the games. I was buying some new games to fulfill my insatiable hunger. During my search, I was surprised to see such low prices on considerably excellent games. They never got a fair shake and now they’re sitting in Wal-marts gigantic unsorted bargain bin. They’re all less than $20 (CAD) and some of them were a mere $10.
Sooo… I guess I’m saying that if you have a DS and you have money, you should read the rest of this post.
Retro Game Challenge
How many times will I mention this game? How about forever until the end of time? If, like me, you still break out old NES games in your basement for fun, this title is a MUST-HAVE. It’s quite simply one of the best games I’ve ever played… pretty much ever. Sadly, it has sold a measly 11,000 copies. I see a copy in every store, always sitting in a dark corner where cheap games go to die. Because of this boorish behaviour on our part, they will never give us the sequel.
This is criminal. What the HELL is wrong with you people?
Watch: A Convincing Review
Watch: Gameplay
Henry Hatsworth
I picked up this one not expecting much. I figured it’d be some cheap puzzle shovelware. I couldn’t be more wrong. For starters, the presentation is spectacular. A bunch of gentleman explorers from “Tea Land” are competing to find the Golden Suit that will give the wearer nigh-infinite power. It’s an hilarious spin on such a typical RPG story. You’ll fight an old man in a wheelchair, an opera singer (who has an attack that hurts HIM instead of you), a goth zombie in a wedding cake, and a variety of deadly Doomsday machines.
I admit the game is a strange and perhaps unappealing mix of genres. It consists of crazy difficult platforming on the top screen, appealing to a specific crowd. It also has Tetris Attack puzzles on the bottom screen, appealing to a completely different and more casual crowd. If you believe you are a party to both camps, this is definitely the game for you. The concept never quite gels and occasionally frustrates, but I simply can’t deny its overwhelming charm.
Watch: TEA TIME!
Legend of Kage 2
You know, I was positive I wouldn’t enjoy this game. It seemed like a pretty bland ninja platformer when I first saw it. But you know, the more I played it the more I liked it. Yeah the jumping is kinda weird (very high but not very far), but the controls are otherwise quite nice.
The music is phenomenal and the storyline is really well done. I was certain the plot would just be some throwaway device to excuse a bunch of killing and jumping. However, I got quite attached to the characters and the ending is very poignant.
Watch: Trailer (doesn’t do justice)
If puzzle games float your boat as they do mine, there are a few other titles I noticed. Picross DS and Puzzle de Harvest Moon are both pretty decent. They still sell for ridiculously cheap, but act fast! They’re getting harder to find with each passing month.
And hey! Hey! Listen! If you can think of more DS games that deserve a parade they never got, please tell me about it! I still have room on my nightstand, right next to Puchi Puchi Virus and Devil Survivor.
(I feel a little silly talking about cheap old DS games when there are dozens of awesome blockbuster titles coming in the next few months.)