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(main article by Katy E. Many thanks to Martin, Jacob & Haydn for their contributions!)
In a recent conversation with a fellow 3DS owner I discussed the lack of depth to the recent flood of 3DS launch game reviews. I appreciate that in the rush up to launch it must be difficult to get a real detailed feel for each individual game you are reviewing, however because of this lack of time given to each launch game I feel their review scores have suffered, and so consequently has 3DS game sales.
Take Samurai Warriors: Chronicles for example, Eurogamer.net gave it a 5/10, yet every person I have spoken to about the game rates it much higher, stating that the weaknesses addressed in the reviews are not as pronounced when you are in the thick of the gameplay.
After I had flicked through various magazines and scrolled down pages of gamers comments about the games I noticed a constant contrast of ratings. And so I decided to ask some fellow ONM forum members for their take on the games they purchased for launch, now that they have had a while to play through and get a good idea about the pros and cons of the game. Let's see what they had to say...
Lego Star Wars III - review by Martin (aka Gumshoe777)
The main reasons I decided to pick this up was because I loved playing the first two games on the Gamecube, what with the fun game play and funny cut scenes. Lego Star Wars III is based on the Clone Wars animated TV series which takes place between episodes II and III.
I was quite impressed with the levels; there may only be 13 levels, but each is quite large and each level takes on average about 30 minutes to complete – which I think was designed to try and encourage people to stick the ‘10 minute break for every 30 minutes gaming’ rule that is stated in the 3DS manual. The game play itself is split between ground and space battles, flowing between the two quite effectively.
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| Box art for Lego Star Wars III on 3DS |
The 3D effect works quite well, giving the levels depth especially during the space battles. The controls work really well when using Jedi, although the same can’t be said for when using characters with guns, as the aiming can be poor at times, so much so that I kept getting killed whilst trying to aim. The spaceship controls are hard to get used to but I’ve found that this can be easily be fixed by inverting the controls in the pause menu. The camera, while for the most part is good, does have its moments where it makes some jumps harder to do. The music is quite impressive and matches the pace of the action perfectly. The game isn’t really too difficult and I’ve didn’t have too many problems clearing the levels. There is plenty of replay value in this game; with loads of hidden extras to find and characters to unlock, there are also 4 unlockable mini games as well, which are good for gaming on the go.
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| Screen from Lego Star Wars III |
The game may have some downsides to it, but the good points easily outweigh the bad points. If you are Star Wars fan then I couldn’t recommend this game highly enough. I will certainly be keeping my copy of this game for a good long while.
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Samurai Warriors: Chronicles - review by Jacob (aka Mushroomchow)
If you have ever played the Warriors series of games, you’ll be split into one of two camps; those who view them as the best, most intense RTS games on the market, or those who think they’re just a mindless slash-em-up with very little depth. I come into this review as neither – I had previously only played a short demo of Dynasty Warriors 2 a long time ago – yet I found this to be my most anticipated 3DS launch title.
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles takes place in the Japanese Sengoku era, where you see your character journey to discover their destiny amongst the raging wars all across the nation. You’ll form partnerships, make enemies but ultimately it is your own choices that determine events – through cut scenes that require user input, your answers to questions will affect which commander you ultimately end up serving under.
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| Samurai Warriors: Chronicles 3DS box art |
The gameplay follows a real time strategy format, which the 3DS is perfectly suited to. You control up to 4 individual characters at a time, and can switch between them at ease with the touch screen, which also displays key map information. Compared to older editions this is a leap forward, keeping the action hectic as there is no need pause the game to change strategies. The whole battle experience is much faster and has more fluidity; this is by all means a series born to be on the DS.
The character roster itself is impressive – having 38 characters in total speaks volumes for the power of the 3DS, as very few compromises were made on transferring the previous console mechanics to a handheld. There is a sometimes noticeable reduction in enemy numbers, and the AI of opponents is questionable – but you won’t have time to think about it as the challenge from this game lies in the missions, which come thick and fast during battles.
Completing tasks during the skirmish are key to the outcome; failure to complete one could lead to an influx of enemy reinforcements, or may put one of your key men in danger. If you, or any other key officers, die, the battle is lost, and so you’ll find yourself tactically placing your characters to neutralise threats from very early on. It makes for an intense strategic experience, but the learning curve is at times stretching for new players. I struggled at points, and conceding defeat, had to play through some battles on Easy mode. Don’t assume that even this is a walk in the park though – this is a hardcore software package and will often have you cursing as you take your eyes off your defences for a few seconds, only to have 15 minutes hard work undone by a momentary lapse of concentration. It’s a demanding game, but the progressing storyline and likable main characters (based on real people) will have you itching to get further in the game.
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| The characters in Chronicles are beautifully designed. |
The graphics for me were the selling point, as this game looks absolutely beautiful. It’s a contender for the best looking package on the 3DS on gameplay alone, boasting graphics that rival the PS2 for detail. There are a few dull textures, but the sheer vastness of the battlefield more than make up for it. The 3D gives a genuine tactical advantage, as you can judge the distance of enemies with much greater accuracy. The 3D view of riding your steed over the fields in Chronicles for the first time was for me an experience on par to Link’s first steps onto Hyrule Field in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The cut scenes are also stunning – with the slider up Chronicles is a beautiful visual feast.
In conclusion, this game will always split opinion; its detractors will cite the poor AI and shallow combat system, but neither of those are problematic when you are immersed in such a deep strategic experience. Your mind will be consistently tested to its tactical limits, so if you can put up with the steep difficulty curve, this game is a must have. Many reviewers of this game have not dug deep enough into Chronicles and blasted through on easy mode, which is a shame as there is a lot of enjoyment to be had.
(Take a look at Jacob's Tube vids! : www.youtube.com/yourfacearts)
Ridge Racer 3D - review by Haydn (aka Ninjafox)
Nintendo gamers have sometimes been given the short straw when it comes to the Ridge Racer series, this will only be the 4th game in the series to appear on a Nintendo console compared to over 8 titles on Sony's Playstation consoles. Ridge Racer 3D is a fairly good game, and uses the 3DS’ 3D capability well, adding to the overall feel of the game; from leaves blowing off the trees and hitting the screen, confetti falling when you drive past the crowd or hitting another car and even bits of metal flying off cars looks amazing.
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| Box art for Ridge Racer 3D |
When you are racing with the camera view set to look through the windscreen it certainly feels that bit more realistic. The tracks are fairly detailed and it is obvious the 3DS packs more power in the graphics department than the DS from playing this game. It’s just a shame the cars don't look quite as nice as they could. There are 15 courses in total. All of these courses are available to drive both ways around the track to add a bit more variety – effectively Ridge Racer 3D's mirror mode if you will.
There are local multiplayer options, but sadly no online mode which is a real shame considering the 3DS has such great online features. The only reason I can imagine that Namco would miss out this feature is because they may have rushed development to get the game out for launch, which isn’t a fair compromise, as Ridge Racer 3D would be a lot better with an online mode.
If you often play Mario Kart then you might feel at odds with the way cars race round the corners; as they sort of skid round, however this can easily be rectified by doing subtle movements in the opposite direction to the bend with the circle pad. A plus side is that Ridge Racer 3D does make use of the Street Pass feature, picking up ghost data from other Ridge Racer 3DS owners. This is great as it increases game longevity, but sadly this does have its downside as well. Different cars are unlocked by getting points as you play through the main Grand Prix mode and taking part in different races, this can put you at a disadvantage if you have only just purchased Ridge Racer 3D and the ghost data you are playing against is an ‘experienced’ racer, it is nearly impossible to beat them.
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| Ridge Racer 3D screenshot by IGN |
The single player Grand Prix is really good fun and you are able to select the music you want to hear during your race just before you start. However, you are unable to sample it so if when you start a race you don't like the music you have chosen then you either have to put up with it, or go back and select a different track. The difficulty curve is well executed – starting off nice and easy but steadily increasing in difficulty the more you play. Whilst I have not completed the game yet I can see racing fans getting over 9 hours gameplay, if they do everything the game has to offer, so if you want something that will last you longer than Pilotwings this might be a good game to buy.
Overall Ridge Racer 3D is a fun game, despite having no online play and should keep racing fans happy until Mario Kart 3DS arrives towards the end of this year.
I hope these player reviews have given you a better insight into some of the launch games and can help you make an educated decision about which title to go for next.
There are more launch game reviews to come from a few more guest contributors, as well as some different posts including a run through of tips to fix your Xbox 360's RROD with the help of software pros Ryan Page & John Chapman.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/superconsole & NintendoScene articles: http://www.nintendoscene.com/
