3DS: Second Opinion

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(review by Katy E.)

So now the 3DS has been out in the UK for a few days, it's time to look back on some of the views of gamers just before the launch day. In this post 3 friends of mine discuss their opinions on the 3DS, the games and the software. Were they right in what they said? Let's find out...

SC = Superconsole

Ryan Page, 17, Ware - 'The PC Gamer'

Topic: Visuals, Controls & Hardware

SC:  So Ryan, you played the 3DS for the first time on Saturday (12th March 2011), did you think the 3D effect worked as well as you hoped it would?

RP: The 3D felt very layered but it was amazing to see the technology being used to create a unique gaming experience. The 3D really did live up to my expectations and if it didn't it wouldn't stop me cracking into Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
expected June 2011 (UK)

SC:  Did the 3D effect improve the visuals of the games at all, as opposed to playing in 2D?

RP: Half and half, it made another fun way to play games but at the same time it destroyed the visuals a little. The 3D was amazing but it messes with your eyes a little when using it for the first time, once you get used to it, it looks amazing.

--

SC: Out of the games that you played, what was your favourite, and what made best use of the 3D technology?

RP: Out of all the games I played I initially would say Zelda OOT was my favourite but seeing as it was already released on the N64 I feel it’s fair to let another game to take the high chair. Out of all the games that the event had to offer I would say that Street Fighter did some amazing stuff with the 3D. The 3D added a new dimension (literally) to the game and made some of the skills and effects look amazing. All of the character models looked great in 3D and the new GPU that they've put in it makes everything look a little less flat.

SC: Street Fighter did look amazing in 3D, but come on Ryan, I know you secretly loved playing Nintendogs + Cats!

Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS
Still as cute as ever!

SC: How did you find the new controls on the 3DS? For example being able to use both the Circle and D-pad.

RP: Unfortunately in the rush of the event and the pushing of kids I only got to play around with the new combination of the circle and D-pad for a couple of minutes. When using the Circle pad to play Super Monkey Ball 3D it all felt a bit stiff, the circle pad needs to move a lot more freely in order to provide some good gameplay and interaction functions because when playing by the time I had pushed the circle pad to the left to make the ball to turn it had already fallen off the map; or it could just be me not being able to control gravity propelled balls.

--

SC: Did you like the 3DS’ use of Motion Sensor and Gyroscope? For example used in games like Super Monkey Ball and Zelda Ocarina of Time.

RP: I didn't get the time at all to play with the gyroscope and motion sensor, the event was really a rush. The demos were too short and I felt rude playing through demos a second time. But I really do regret not taking the time with the event and making the most of it.

SC: I wasn’t so polite and played through Super Monkey Ball 3D once using the Circle Pad and the second time using Motion Sensor, switching from 2D to 3D. I would say that it was easier controlling the ball with the Circle Pad than motion sensor – I had the same problem with it flinging itself off the map, however when I tried to use the motion sensor with the 3D the ‘sweet spot’ kept moving and I wasn’t able to focus on the 3D. If you do decide to buy this game, I would recommend using 3D for the Circle Pad or 2D with motion sensor.

Becca Grant, 17, Great Amwell - 'The PlayStation Fan Girl'

Topic: AR Cards & other games

SC: So after having a chance to play around with the AR cards – how did you find the controls when using the cards?

BG: The gyroscope and motion sensors were very responsive, but I found that they required precision in order to keep the cards in focus. For example, I was playing the Question Mark AR Card, where you shoot at targets and then on the final round you shoot at a dragon, which was fun but you had to be quite accurate with your movements.

SC: To find the targets and shoot you have to move around with your 3DS to see different views and aspects, which I found incredibly clever – at one point I was looking for a target, only to find it was hiding inside a hole which had been made out of the table which I was standing near to. The 3DS really influences you to move around and take another look, it’s not just shooting hovering targets.

-- 

SC: Do you see yourself using the AR Cards in the future?

BG: I’m not really a mini-game fan, I found the idea a bit gimmicky, but it does show off the 3D capability quite well.

SC: Although I don’t think I’ll be replaying the target shooting card a lot, I’ll definitely be taking a few pictures of myself standing next to Link or Samus with the 3D Camera and the other AR Cards!

A picture I took with the Link AR Card
Here we see Link battling a giant afro chicken.
Obviously.

SC: So, the AR Cards didn’t convince you to pre-order a 3DS immediately then?

BG: Not really, I mean they looked great, but it’s not enough to persuade me to spend £200 on a new console.

-- 

SC: What other 3DS games are you looking forward to?

BG: I’ve heard Assassin’s Creed has a new game coming out for the 3DS, I’m a big Assassin’s Creed fan for the PS3 so I’m interested to see what it will be like in 3D.

SC: Yes there has been talk about Assassin’s Creed: Lost Legacy 3D, which if it’s anything like the other games we’re in for a treat. In all honesty I hadn’t played an AC game until a few moments ago with Becca, when she was showing me the online mode for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for PS3 which looked great. Any other 3DS games you’ll be saving for? How about the launch titles?

BG: To be honest none of the launch titles interest me, however I enjoyed previous Professor Layton games, so I will probably give Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle a go.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Lost Legacy coming to a 3DS near you...

SC: Lastly, Sony have recently announced their own new handheld – the PSP2 (NGP), would you be more likely to buy this than the 3DS?

BG: Yes, I would probably choose the PSP2 for its better graphics. I’m used to the Playstation’s controls so that would be another factor, and I’m more interested in the collection of games that Sony has to offer.

Jess Anson, 19, Manchester - 'The JRPG Fan'

Topic: General overview

SC:  So what was your initial impression of the 3DS? How heavy was it in comparison to a DSLite? And what did you make of the design?

JA: I was surprised how small it was compared to how I imagined it - I thought considering it's 3D they would use a size more like the DSXL; despite that the 3D was still really good! I didn't really notice the weight which probably means not much difference between that and my Lite. I really liked the colour but then I have a bias towards blue, although I do think it's a bit weird to have it half and half on the blue one? Maybe it's just me. I liked the circle pad, ended up using it instead of the D-pad, and the placement felt fine. The 3D slider's also a feature I liked.

--
SC: Were you impressed by the 3D visuals?
JA: The 3D was the best bit about it - the difference is immediately noticeable, especially when they've gone so far as to even have the text coming out of the screen at you! And the fact that you don't even need glasses makes it even better. In my opinion it beats the 3D used in movies at the moment by miles, though I haven't played any proper games yet.

Kid Icarus Uprising
winner of the best 3D visuals so far!

SC: Did you personally experience any difficulty with seeing the 3D effect or headaches etc.?

JA: The only time this happened was during the Augmented Reality game but I think that was because I wasn't holding it far away enough from the card - if I held it closer than what was wanted it went blurry and difficult to look at. Apart from that, it was absolutely fine.

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SC: What games are you most looking forward to? And why?JA: Hmm a fair few including probably Zelda, Mario Kart, any Square Enix Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts kind of game.

Screen for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D

SC: How did you find the pre-installed games like augmented reality cards and Face Raiders?JA: Didn't really try face raiders but augmented reality, once the blurriness stopped, was really good! It was amazing to see technology we tried in NHK (Japanese Media Studios in Shibuya) in 2006 put down into DS size and made into 3D, it worked really well.

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SC: And lastly, will you be buying a 3DS either at launch or in the near future?

JA: I might buy one but the fact that it's region locked is putting me off, especially at the moment whilst it's so expensive, considering some of the main games I play are from Japan. It's definitely something I'd want to get if the price ever dropped a bit though.

So thank you to all my interviewees.

What do you think now that you may have had a chance to play on the 3DS?

Feel free to follow my Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/superconsole

The 3DS: What You Need To Know

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(review by Katy E.)

… After playing Nintendo’s 3DS a couple of times, most recently at the 3DS Event at Westfield, London (12.03.11) I can comfortably and unashamedly say I am a 3DS fanatic…

Aqua Blue 3DS console (note: new stylus)

So, what is it?

The 3DS is Nintendo’s new 3D gaming handheld (no 3D glasses needed), complete with circle pad, 3D depth slider, 3D cameras, motion and gyro sensors, adjustable stylus, charging cradle and 2GB SD memory card. The 3DS is also backwards compatible and so will play any of your DS games. The system also includes the functions Street Pass and Spot Pass which allows your console to communicate with other 3DS systems, something which will be put to use in games such as Street Fighter and Nintendogs + Cats.

When does it come out?

It’s already out in Japan and is set to be released in the UK on Friday 25^th March.

How much is it?

Prices vary across stores, but it’s around the £195 marker at the moment, with Morrisons the cheapest at £187 (11.03.11)

Is it actually 3D?

In short – yes. By which I mean there is a real feel of the depth and layers, most visible in games such as Street Fighter, where you can clearly differentiate between the background and the front fighting stage. The 3D depth is also great in Kid Icarus: Uprising, as you can easily tell how far away enemies are and how long they are going to take to reach you before they launch an attack. In terms of the ‘coming out of the screen’ 3D factor, although I have not experienced this yet personally (I was too busy running away from zombies in Resident Evil to let them get anywhere near to throwing themselves at the screen as a tester) according to numerous sources the 3DS does have this capability.

Experience the 3DS yourself at the touring 3DS event
This picture was taken at Westfield shopping centre, London

What games are on offer?

For UK launch on the 25^th the games we have available to purchase are:

-          PilotWings Resort

-          Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

-          Nintendogs + Cats (French Bulldog, Toy Poodle, Golden Retriever and Friends)

-          Samurai Warriors: Chronicles

-          Ridge Racer 3D

-          Super Monkey Ball 3D

-          Asphalt 3D

-          Rayman 3D

-          Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

-          Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D

-          The Sims 3

-          Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D

-          Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

I’m not the first to admit this line-up isn’t the best, but I’d recommend from here Super Street Fighter, PilotWings or Nintendogs + Cats.



Super Street Fighter IV 3D - grab this on launch day!



Have any more games been confirmed?

Thankfully yes, other games that are (potentially) on their way over to the UK are…

-          Puzzle Bobble

-          Combats of Giants 3D

-          Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle

-          Steel Diver

-          Bust-a-move Universe

-          Madden NFL 11

-          Paper Mario 3DS

-          Kid Icarus: Uprising

-          Super Mario Bros 3DS

-          Mario Kart 3DS

-          Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS

-          Animal Crossing 3DS

-          Star Fox 3DS

-          Dead Or Alive Dimensions

-          Resident Evil: Revelations

-          Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Any pre-installed software?

Yes lots – if you’re still deciding what games to get then there are 6 pre-installed augmented reality mini-games to play. These come as a pack of AR cards (target shooting, Mario, Link, Kirby, Samus and Pikmin) you simply go to the AR card menu screen to activate. The cards are used in various ways which blend 3D images from the 3DS with your surroundings. Another way in which they are used is to take 3D pictures of Nintendo characters in the real world – for example taking a picture of Link standing on your kitchen table, although not exactly a mini-game, still a great use of the 3D camera technology. (Check out a video on YouTube for a visual explanation).

Another pre-installed game is the hysterical Face Raiders, in which you take pictures of people’s faces and then shoot at them. This game also makes use of blending 3D moving images with your surroundings, as I played Face Raiders in an office I had to shoot at faces which were dive-bombing around the desks and the coffee machine. Who would’ve thought shooting at mini floating heads of you and other people could be so much fun.

There will also be a Virtual Console, similar to on the Wii, to download your favourite GBA games (Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening have already been confirmed).

An eStore and Internet Browser will also be available. Your SD card will now support MP3s so you can also use your 3DS as an MP3 player.

Not to forget the Mii Maker tool, which generates a Mii version of yourself from a photo. Or if you don’t like the Mii it generates, you can always customise your Mii yourself.

The 6 AR cards which are included with the 3DS

Good points

It’s innovative, the 3D works excellently, the Circle Pad is great and there are a superb set of games on their way in the not too distant future. It's great that Nintendo have also included the depth slider so you can choose to play games in either 2D or 3D, that way if you feel any eye strain you can simply turn off the 3D effect - problem solved. And don't worry the 3D games still look excellent even with the 3D effect turned off.

Bad points

Fingerprints and smudges show up terribly on the 3DS because of its glossy finish, although not something to cry about, it isn’t the best thing to notice when you first pick up the 3DS. Also, there have been a few complaints of headaches and the 3D effect not focusing properly for different people (although I’ve had no trouble with it) many players have already turned off the 3D effect calling it “gimmicky”.

Apart from 3DS games, what should I be saving my money for?

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) is easily the game I’m most looking forward to that is not on the 3DS, although no release date has been confirmed as yet, it’s likely to be out by the end of this year.

Verdict

I’ve been really impressed by the 3DS and have already got my Aqua Blue version pre-ordered. The best game I have played so far is Kid Icarus Uprising – I was really surprised by it, the controls (although awkward at first) fit really well with the gameplay and it looked superb in 3D. However, I am intrigued by Dead or Alive and think this could be a great fighter game as an alternative from Street Fighter.

Me looking extremely happy to be
playing Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

7 Excellent Reasons to Support Rising Star Games [part one]

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(review by Katy E.)

...This month I was lucky enough to spend a game-packed week with the team at Rising Star, in their Luton HQ. It was really fun helping out, but through the experience I witnessed the ongoing struggle smaller publishers have to get their brilliant new games out there into the mainstream market...

With big names such as Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Konami, Namco, EA, Ubisoft, Sega, Capcom etc. developing and publishing their own games, it makes smaller publishers such as Rising Star work that much harder to get their games the glory they deserve. And they really do deserve it – Rising Star are one of the few companies that actually listen to their buyers and what they want, following up on suggested Japanese games for publishing and replying to posts personally on the forums and emails. As opposed to larger companies such as Capcom who have asked us to quite literally “beg” for Capcom to release Ace Attorney Vs. Professor Layton in Europe, rather than listen to the interest and excitement surrounding the game’s announcement.

So what are these 7 reasons to support RSG? Well, they are Rising Star’s top games of course. Let's work in reverse order...

Note: These ranking are all in my opinion and only from the games which I have played (so I may have missed a great RSG game which I have not yet played).

7. Title: Rune Factory 2     Publisher: Rising Star Games     Developer: Neverland Co.  

     Platform: DS                 Release Date: Japan   - 2008

                                                                          Europe - 2010

Rune Factory 2 is the follow up to the great first game, also on the DS, Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon. Although IGN (my source of reliable game reviewing) has awarded both the Rune Factory 1 and 2 a well deserved score of 8.4, I have decided to write about Rune Factory 2 for no other reason than as this is the game I have played most recently.

All images from IGN.com

Games in the series include:

> Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon [NDS], JP 2006, EU 2009

> Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon [NDS], JP 2008, EU 2010

> Rune Factory Frontier [Wii], JP 2008, EU 2010

> Rune Factory 3 [NDS], JP 2009

> Rune Factory Oceans [PS3], JP 2011

 

The series is a spin-off of the Harvest Moon series, which was made as part of the franchise's re-invention for its 10^th anniversary. It should be noted that Rune Factory 2 is the last game to be officially affiliated with the Harvest Moon series, and that the rest of the games are an independent franchise. Rune Factory is essentially the elder, sword-wielding, brother of the Harvest Moon series, combining Harvest Moon’s classic farming gameplay with RPG elements. And this is no bad thing at all, Harvest Moon is a great franchise alone, but the twist that Rune Factory provides revives the Harvest Moon franchise, providing players with the same addictive gameplay established in the Harvest Moon series but new stories, characters, mechanics and settings.

Like Harvest Moon, the aims of the game include; befriending neighbours, cultivating your crops, getting married and raising a family. However, unlike Harvest Moon, Rune Factory offers you the chance to get stuck into some action, providing players 4 huge dungeons to battle through while defeating and befriending monsters. These monsters, once tamed, will be able to help you out on your farm – handy! Rune Factory 2 is also unique in that it allows players to play through the game as two generations, first as the father and later as the son or daughter. Something else I enjoyed about the gameplay, which has been since put into motion in the Harvest Moon series is the quests which you can complete for the inhabitants of the town, not only do they allow you to upgrade your skills, but they also help to develop stronger relationships with other characters. Filled with animated cut-scenes and a sprinkle of voice acting, Rune Factory is definitely not just a ‘cut and paste’ job of Harvest Moon – it’s quite literally a world apart.

The storyline is about a man with amnesia who wanders into the town of Alvarna. There he meets a young girl called Mana, who works at the local shop and suggests he take over the nearby abandoned farm, giving him a few basic tools to get him started. The man (who I named Kyle) delves into work on the farm, creating new relationships, hoping to discover his true identity, whilst getting married to a girl of his choice and having a child with her. However, one day he regains his memory and suddenly realises why he ended up in Alvarna in the first place. He leaves his family in the middle of the night, resuming on the quest he had previously embarked on. The game resumes years later, when his child continues to look after the land, beginning their own adventure to find their father and the secret to why he left.

Rune Factory 2 is a great addition to Rising Star’s collection and a fun experience. The characters are beautifully designed, the background music fits perfectly with the gameplay and the aesthetics of the game are a real treat when you are walking through the town. I would really encourage any RPG fans, or players of the Harvest Moon series to give this one a try. Both Rune Factory 3 and Rune Factory Oceans are as yet unreleased in Europe, however we can speculate that since Rising Star Games have published the 3 previous games in the series, that we are likely to see both games arriving to our shores sometime in the near future.

6. Title: Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Islands     Publisher: Rising Star Games         
     Developer: Marvelous       Platform: DS     Release Date: Japan   - 2008

                                                                                                            Europe - 2010

The Harvest Moon franchise is one of RSG’s biggest and addictive series. Although each game follows a similar pattern: grow crops, look after livestock, upgrade house, make friends, marry, have children etc. each game provides a different storyline, new characters and more content. For example, in this post I am focusing on Harvest Moon DS: Sunshine Islands, one of the more recent titles to hit the European markets. The first Harvest Moon game was released in 1996 in Japan on the Super Nintendo (Super Famicom) and has been a great success ever since.

The storyline behind the Sunshine Islands is that many years before the game takes place, an earthquake struck the Sunshine Islands, which caused them to sink to the bottom of the ocean. For some reason as the new farmer on the block, it is your task to find the magical Sun Stones and restore the Sunshine Islands to their former glory. Along the way, the player is expected to follow the normal Harvest Moon structure of creating the best farm possible, packed with a variety of new animals, pets and crops, as well as settling down to have a family.

The reason I love the Harvest Moon franchise is that it simply gets bigger and better with every instalment, so I have high hopes for the next game in the series. I am also looking forward to the prospect of a Harvest Moon game on the new 3DS console, which although nothing has been announced so far, I’m sure will materialise and even more certain will look and play fantastically.

5. Title: Little King's Story                          Publisher: Rising Star Games         
     Developer: Cing & Town Factory       Platform: Wii     Release Date: Japan   - 2009

                                                                                                                               Europe - 2009



Corobo, the King of Alpoko
All images from IGN.com



For years the Wii has been criticized for not having enough ‘innovative’ or truly unique games in its library, and every game release has just added to the clutter of party games, under-developed RPGs and useless peripherals. What Rising Star seem to have established a knack for, is discovering and publishing those unique and innovative games which really show how strong the Wii can be. Little King’s Story is one of those games. From the same mind as the creator of the Harvest Moon series, Yashuhira Wada, Little King’s Story combines elements of a life-sim, strategy game and RPG to create the great adventure that it stands as today. Many players have likened the action gameplay to that of Pikmin, however Little King’s Story also resembles creation and ‘God’ games like Lionhead Studios’ Black and White.

The story revolves around a young boy called Corobo, who finds a mysterious crown which gives him the ability to charm people and make them follow his every command. He becomes king of the town Alpoko and begins his quest to upgrade his kingdom by hunting and fighting and building up a larger population. There are also side quests to be completed, in the form of citizen complaints – doing these will keep the people of Alpoko happy and increase the kingdom’s finances. However, there is more to Little King’s Story than the realms of Alpoko, as Corobo can explore in order to conquer more rival territories, collect treasure and defeat dangerous enemies.

As you play as the King you are not expected to do all the work yourself, you can command your people to do all the digging, building and fighting for you. Each civilian possesses a set amount of ‘life’, which increases the more you play the game and the stronger and bigger your kingdom grows. Your people will fight to the death for you, which is a good thing as there are boss battles and rivals to defeat, as well as keeping your people happy!

The best thing about Little King’s Story however is not the gameplay, although I do love the Pikmin style of controls and combat, but rather the game’s style, soft visuals, beautiful designs, captivating characters and humorous text. It’s a brilliantly engaging game and really deserves a sequel, as one of the only Wii games which I do believe will stand the test of time.

4. Title: No More Heroes 2           Publisher: Rising Star Games         Platform: Wii 
     Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture         Release Date: Japan   - 2010

                                                                                                             Europe - 2010

No More Heroes 2, or to quote the full name, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is the sequel to my favourite developer, Suda 51 (Goichi)’s critically acclaimed No More Heroes series. As I mentioned earlier, there is sizeable gap of innovative games for the Wii, a gap which Rising Star Games are slowly patching up by releasing absolute cracking games such as No More Heroes. This is a series I simply can’t get enough of – the humour, the style, the energetic battles, the thumping soundtrack, the bizarre characters and most importantly, the Travis. Travis Touchdown is the series’ anti-hero, a blood-thirsty, anime geek assassin who just oozes cool. For me, Travis is up there with Link and Mario as one of the greatest characters in Nintendo history.

The fighting is just as slick as the old game

But before I get too far into continuously praising the game, let me explain what it’s all about. The story of No More Heroes 2 is told through a series of shady cut-scenes, which pop up around every rank battle. It has been 3 years since Travis ranked number one assassin in the UAA (United Assassins Association) and then walked away. Now, back in the realms of Santa Destroy, Travis is back to fight Skelter Helter, who wants revenge on Travis for killing his older brother (Helter Skelter) in the first game. After defeating Skelter, Travis meets Sylvia Christel who tells him he is now rank 51^st in the UAA. Although Travis claims not to be interested in the UAA anymore, later that night a group of criminals kill Travis’ best friend (and owner of the video store in the first game) Bishop. Now Travis seeks revenge and asks Sylvia to set him up a fight. Sylvia tells Travis that the no.1 ranked assassin, Jasper Batt Jr. was the one who ordered the killing, and so Travis’ bloody revenge begins.

During the battle with Skelter Helter

No More Heroes incorporates wrestling moves and beam katana swiping combat to hack and slash its way to victory, and makes good use of the Wii control system. In fact, No More Heroes is one of the only games which I actually enjoy using the motion sensor Wii-remote, and although players can be lazy and simply button-mash ‘A’ without moving a muscle, this does not use Travis to his full potential and makes boss battles much harder. By waving the remote about like you’re demented, you are able to use a variety of upper and lower cuts with your beam katana, while using ‘B’ and ‘A’ to execute wrestling finishing moves. Not only is this a great work out (in higher ranked battles I’d end up breathless after a deserved victory) but also very fun and really involves you in the gameplay – you ARE Travis, you are right in the thick of the action. The battles vary - one minute you'll be getting close and personal with one-on-one beam katana action and next minute you'll jump into your huge trusty robot and take down another robot full of cheerleaders.. Although the gameplay and combat is very similar to the first game, No More Heroes 2 simply irons out the problems encountered in the debut game.

Who wouldn't love a game where you fight as
a giant beam katana-wielding robot?

Any players of the first game will know of the character Shinobu, and will probably be glad to hear that No More Heroes 2 provides players with the opportunity to play as her in some of the rank battles as a substitute for Travis. This is quite a interesting element, and gives you a chance to experience Shinobu's different fighting styles. In another stage you are also able to play as Travis' brother, Henry, who on the other hand is quite similar to Travis, however this is still a fun change.

One of the greatest things about the No More Heroes series is that it combines emotion, humour and just plain weird, drawing you in with the death of Bishop and then flinging you back out into the odd reality of Santa Destroy with mini-games such as exercising your overweight cat. Although the game can be serious at times, the crude sense of humour which it employs balances No More Heroes perfectly and gives the game so much more depth.

We do like a bit of coconut collecting
in No More Heroes..

Some mini-games and training stages teleport you back to the retro-gaming days, with cute, 'old-skool' graphics and 8-bit tunes, adding to the variety of the No More Heroes package. You really do enjoy every minute of the game and every single aspect – from slicing your way through hordes of baseball bat-wielding Pizza Bat goons to choosing what outfit Travis should wear today. Oh, and to save you take a dump in the toilet – obviously!

And so this concludes part one of '7 Excellent Reason to Support Rising Star Games' - the next post will include the top 3 must-have Rising Star Games, one of which is my favourite game of all-time. I hope I have encouraged you to go out and try some of these excellent games in the future, and remeber - there's much more to come!

Visit Rising Star Game's site to find out more!

http://www.risingstargames.com/