Children’s games are usually not ones to look to when you’re in need of some exemplary gameplay, nor graphics. Fortunately, there are a few interesting titles to be found within the realm of kid-dom that don’t entirely strike out. What’s more, some of those titles are even based on licensed properties. Take Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly. It didn’t take long for the videogame adaptations to arrive, but can the plight of talented teens and their webcam show translate onto the Nintendo Wii and DS? Better than you might expect, I swear!
All posts in Nintendo DS
Impressions: iCarly
On December 9, 2009
In Impressions, Nintendo DS, Wii
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Review: Bleach: The 3rd Phantom
On November 27, 2009
In Nintendo DS, Review
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As far as shonen epics go, Bleach is one of the most successful franchises to rock Japan. Countless video game spinoffs have been crafted as a result, most of them falling into the doldrums of normalcy, subpar gameplay, and showing a blatant disregard for quality. Bleach: The 3rd Phantom is the latest entry into the Bleach video game legacy, and it proves to be no exception. While it serves up delicious fanservice and well-written plot expansions for Bleach diehards, it cannot stand on its own two feet as a capable SRPG. Instead, what eager fans can expect is a humdrum visual novel sprinkled with meager, unsatisfying battles. Similar to how the Bounto arc turned many viewers off, this title will likely disgruntle genre loyalists looking for a solid anime-to-video game adaptation.
Review: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
On October 10, 2009
In Nintendo DS, Review
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The original Kingdom Hearts, released in 2002, was a fantastic success. Though skeptics were unsure how the union of Disney and RPG behemoth Square Enix would fare, the quirky, fresh, and exciting offering changed many a gamer’s mind about Disney and the characters inhabiting the universe. Riding off of the first game’s success, a sequel was quickly ushered into the open. While it was in many ways a triumph and superior (at least in my opinion) to its predecessor, Kingdom Hearts purists were turned off by the fact that half of the game would be spent running around as a character completely unrelated to that of Sora, Kairi, and Riku — a plucky new hero named Roxas, along with the company he kept and his very own tale.
Because of this abrupt change in narrative, fans of the franchise were left with far more questions than necessary. Unlike GBA offering Chain of Memories, a title has been developed to specifically address these concerns: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
Review: MySims DS
The Sims has evolved into something less casual and inherently more “hardcore,” at least in terms of how much of a timesink it is. EA has taken a direct approach in order to try to rectify this strange situation, as well as reach out to those gamers who are as casual as casual can be who need to game in much smaller, much easier to digest chunks. As Sims games evolve, so do the layers of strategy and planning necessary in order to play the game like an old pro. EA’s MySims brand effectively targets those who find the sim genre appealing but who do not have enough time to learn its intricacies or those without enough time to really sit down and enjoy it.
Review: MySims
The Sims has evolved into something less casual and inherently more “hardcore,” at least in terms of how much of a timesink it is. EA has taken a direct approach in order to try to rectify this strange situation, as well as reach out to those gamers who are as casual as casual can be who need to game in much smaller, much easier to digest chunks. As Sims games evolve, so do the layers of strategy and planning necessary in order to play the game like an old pro. EA’s MySims brand effectively targets those who find the sim genre appealing but who do not have enough time to learn its intricacies or those without enough time to really sit down and enjoy it.