A party I wish I was never invited to

3.25/5 (6.5/10)

Folks, you won't see me give a game this low of a score very often. I don't own very many bad games. So why do I own this game? I bought it when I was a kid, which is the only audience who could really ever find this enjoyable.

Mario Party 7 brings the same concept that has been used in just about every other Mario Party game: each character tries to obtain the most stars by moving around on a game board and playing mini games. Sounds alright, but multiplayer games can get boring, and fast. In this iteration of the Mario Party series, the developer tried to mix things up a bit by creating special conditions for each game board. For example, on one board, the highest bidder will receive the amount of stars that are in a windmill. On another, you can steal other people's stars by riding chain chomps and crushing your opponents. I actually give credit to the developers, because at least these new twists make things a bit more interesting.

Even with the new features in the multiplayer party, it's still quite a drag. A simple 10 turn party takes an entire 40 minutes, at the least. I shudder to think of the suffering some people would go though if they choose to play the 50 turn party. So, with the multiplayer party being not quite as fun as someone who's never played a Mario Party game would expect, it comes down to the mini games. You play mini games after every turn in a multiplayer party, and you can also play them whenever you want in the mini game area of Mario Party 7. However, you can only play the mini games after unlocking them in the monotonous multiplayer party mode. Shame on you, Nintendo.

So, are the mini games any fun? Well, kind of. There some stand-outs, such as Spider Stomp, Balloonatic, Fun Run, Funstacle Course, and Ice moves, but there are also many mini games that fall flat. If you can stand some of the bad puns (try Synch-Row-Nicity or Grin and Bar It), you can have a really good time playing some of them. However, I find that some of the mini games are just too short. Yes, I know that they are called mini games, but some games can end in about 8 seconds. I would have liked it if some more thought had been put into them.

Now, not to worry- there is a new feature in the game, in the form of 8 player mini games. But perhaps you should worry, because they aren't really anything special. If you can actually get 8 people into one room to play Mario Party, you'll have to share the controllers at the same time, forcing you to have to get close with the person your sharing with, which I can only imagine would be rather awkward. And another problem will arise if you have an odd number of people- one person will have to team up with a dumbass computer player, putting them at a disadvantage. While I was playing a mini game named Rope a Dope, my computer partner was constantly pulling me into the abyss. As you can imagine, it was impossible for me to win.

There's a solo mode, of course, but it's completely pointless. All it does is gets you points to buy crap at the store. Which brings me to the way Nintendo tries to get you to keep playing: you earn points by playing games, which you can use to buy useless souvenirs and less than helpful secrets (Did you know? When viewing souvenirs, say the colored words into the Mic for a surprise!). I miss the good old times in Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5 when you could complete solo mode to reach a final boss battle with Bowser. The huge cube in Mario Party 4 was a fun challenge for me when I was a kid.

The graphics are so-so, and the music is fine.... not much to talk about in that area.

The Final Verdict:

Mario Party 7 was the fourth Mario Party game to be released on the Gamecube, and came out just a year after Mario Party 6. More should have been done with this game, and perhaps it would have been a truly great party game. But it is not.

NINJA TIME!!!!

4/5 (8/10)

This game can be summarized in three words: simple yet entertaining. However, three words would not make for a very good review, so I'll go into more detail about the game.

As you may already know, N+ is the port of the Xbox Live Arcade title, which is in turn a port of N, the computer Flash game. As I have already stated, N+ is simple, so simple in fact that it might turn some people off if it weren't for the fact that this game is so damned entertaining. You press the A or B button to jump, and press the d-pad to move. And that's about it. No other controls than that, besides the fact that you can jump off of walls.

In N+, you must complete 5 different levels within a 90 second time limit using your simple jump and movement commands. You must make it past enemies and get through the door to complete a level, and gold can add seconds to the clock. Easy enough, right? Perhaps not- some of the levels can be frustratingly hard. I guaranty that you will get stuck on a level more than once. It is definitely tough to complete all the 200 levels, and it would take a dedicated person to do so. If you are currently taking or have ever taken anger management classes, I do not suggest this game to you, in fear that you may throw your DS at a wall and shatter it (shatter the DS, not the wall).

There are no human enemies, unfortunately, but instead various robots that can really give you a tough time (I've died countless times to the enemies that shoot missels and lasers). Even though most of the levels are the same bland color, the design of some of the levels are fantastic. And the good news is, you can create your own levels as well. One problem I had with the level editor, however, is that sometimes it can be tough to get a certain piece where you want it to be. I think it would have been easier to do the editor with the d-pad instead of the stylus, but nonetheless, those creative enough can make some truly astounding levels. You can also download other people's levels, adding endless replay value.

The graphics aren't the best, but in the end, it doesn't matter. The sound matters even less- I was so engrossed in the action that I didn't even notice the music. However, some people will, and they may be disappointed to know that the sound track isn't as catchy as it could be.

One thing that amused me about N+ was the way the ninja die. Call me childish, but it's actually kind of funny to watch your ninja blow to bits. Even after he dies, you can watch your ninja get volley-balled between enemies.

All in all, I'll say what I said before: N+ is simple yet entertaining. And since the game won't take a large chunk out of your wallet, N+ is a definite pickup if you want a quality game and don't mind getting frustrated now and again.

The Lite at the end of the tunnel...

4.25/5 (8.5/10)

There's no question that when it comes to handhelds, Nintendo is dominate. They've come out with the GameBoy, the GameBoy Color, the GameBoy Advance, and now the DS (and DS Lite). The DS brings many new innovations, but is not perfect by far.

The Good
Of course, the main innovations of the DS are the dual screens and the touch control. The touch control has been used to give a new spin to games that we know so well. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass uses complete touch control, making the game unique from the other ones in the series. The dual screens were also a brilliant idea by Nintendo- there are many different ways that they can be used. Hell, in some games the DS is even held sideways! There's no doubt that the DS can provide a gaming experience that you can't find anywhere else.

The DS Lite definitely improved on the original DS, design-wise. The DS Lite is much thinner and easier to use, and is much brighter than the original DS. I give props to Nintendo for stepping up and fixing what needed to be fixed.

Besides the touch control and dual screens, Nintendo also added a microphone, features such as Pictochat, DS Download Play, complete backwards compatibility for all GBA games, online multiplayer, sleep mode (in which you never have to turn off your DS while it saves power), and even kept the traditional d-pad and buttons (very wise on Nintendo's part). All of those features are welcome additions, and only add to the DS experience.

The Bad
As I mentioned before, the DS is not perfect. The graphics are not very updated since the GBA, falling far behind the PSP. For people who prefer tip-top visuals, the DS might not be for you.
Maybe it's just me, but even with the sleek design of the DS Lite, it's still not very portable. Unlike previous Nintendo handhelds, the DS don't fit very well in my pockets. I've noticed this especially with jeans. I just can't seem to fit the DS into those tight pockets. Then again, other people may not have the same problem as me.

The In-Between
Unlike the PSP, the DS does not allow you to surf the internet, watch videos or listen to music. However, it is a matter of opinion whether that makes the DS inferior to the PSP. Usually when I buy a gaming handheld, though, I buy it to play video games, not watch videos.

The Bottom Line
All in all, the DS Lite is another great handheld from the people at Nintendo. If you just want to play great games in a new and unique way, I highly suggest the DS Lite.

Pinball Poke-

Just for the record, I'm not giving this game a 4/5. The new 5 star rating system doesn't seem to let me give half stars. I'm giving this game a 4.25 out of 5 (8.5/10). Also, I won't be using the pros and cons chart (except for the one pro and con I'm being forced to enter). None of the pros and cons listed there are ones I want. Basically, I'm sticking it to the system.

Everyone knows Pokemon. If you don't, you're either a crabby old hermit who lives in a cave, or someone who was literally born yesterday. Most everyone knows about the Pokemon RPG games, the latest entries being Diamond and Pearl. And Pokemon fans know all about Pokemon Misery Dungeon.... err I mean Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. But a game that deserves more credit is Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire, a surprisingly addictive game.

I'd like to start off by raving about how well Pokemon were integrated into this game. This isn't just a pinball game with the name Pokemon slapped onto it. You can tell how much thought the developers put into this game. Pokemon are everywhere you look on the pinball tables. That's definitely a big plus to the game.

As the name of the game suggests, the whole thing is based on the Ruby and Sapphire games. There are two main pinball tables, one based on Ruby, and the other based on Sapphire. The two boards have their advantages and disadvantages, but at times I started to lean toward the Ruby table. On the Sapphire table, it's really easy to "Travel" (perhaps a bit too easy) but harder to level up your pinball (a PokeBall), which means you get less points. On the Ruby table, it's harder to Travel, but you can level up your PokeBall much easier, meaning you get more points in the in-game mini-games. The mini-games usually happen randomly, and can be pretty enjoyable (To win a mini-game, you have to hit a Pokemon a certain amount of times. You might have to hit Keckleon, who can turn invisible, or maybe Rayquaza, who can send your ball high into the air in an attempt to thwart your efforts). However, if you happen to keep a game going for a long time, you'll be playing those mini-games multiple times (they're optional, but you get a mess of points if you win them), and they get pretty repetitive.

Now, don't think that the whole point of the game is to get the highest score possible. As in Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire, your goal is to capture all 200 Pokemon (although you can capture Jirachi too). On the tables you can activate "Catch 'em" mode, which requires you to hit the Pokemon bumpers at the top of the table in order to capture a Pokemon. You can also evolve a Pokemon and hatch an egg, adding diversity to the way you can catch the rest of the Pokemon on your Pokedex. Also, like in Ruby/Sapphire, you can only catch Pokemon on certain tables and areas. That means you have to play on both the Sapphire and Ruby tables if you truly want to be a Pokemon Master.

I'm a little disappointed that there isn't any sort of multiplayer game mode, but the game is still enjoyable without it. The graphics are solid. They certainly aren't awe-inspiring, but to tell you the truth, they really don't need to be. The sound is solid as well. The music is very casual, which is perfect for this game. When you're about to catch a Pokemon, it will make it's usual growl or whatever the hell it's supposed to sound like. One thing that is negative about this game is the ball doesn't really move that fast, even on it's fastest speed. That makes it easier to keep the ball in play, thus making the game easier. Still, the game is super-addicting. Even after you catch all the Pokemon (or at least most), you'll still want to play to get the highest score possible. Overall, this is a well designed Pokemon game that really should have gotten more attention than it did.

No More Pichu!!!! HOORAY!!!!

Right off the bat, I must say that SSBB is a really great game. It keeps the same basic ideas from the other two in the series, but has a bunch of new content, adding on to the replay value (if that's even possible). I wouldn't be surprised if people still played this game years and years from now.

For those who don't already know, Brawl brings many Nintendo characters (and some non-Nintendo characters, too) together for one big all-out fight. The idea is very simple, yet it is genius. Hopefully you already know the basics of the game, because I don't want to spend the whole review explaining it.

Classic mode is the same as always, but I don't think they should have made it longer, because now its just a chore to complete it. The new Adventure mode is fun though, and almost completely makes up for Classic mode. All-Star mode, like Classic mode, is also too long, but the game cannot be at fault for that, because they couldn't just leave any of the many characters out of it. Speaking of the characters, I like this cast much better than Melee's cast of characters. I mean, Pichu was just pointless, and I'm sure everyone will agree with me.

When I first got this game I was really excited about the online, but in reality it's not that great. Well, I should be at least thankful that there is online at all. I could go on about all the other things in Brawl, but I think this review is getting a little long (and plus I'm getting tired of typing). To rap things up, Brawl is not perfect, but it does one heck of a good job.