Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars

Conception 2 is a Dungeon Crawler RPG with a unique twist on party creation/management that involves creating "Star Children" with the games 7 heroines. These Star Children are similar to the monster creation in Shin Megami Tensai games, as they are characters of different classes and abilities that will aid you in your labyrinth battles.

Outside of the Labyrinths, you can chat with the heroines, visit training grounds, create Star Children, organize your party at the dorms, and shop for new weapons or items at the store.

Concpetion 2 looks great, the 2D sprites are slightly animated for all of the story interaction as well as some 3D animation for chatting with the heroines. The game also features some nice animated sequences for the story and transformation scenes. A good portion of the game looks to be fully voiced and a few of the characters so far are well voice-acted.

The battle system features a very simple turn based attack pattern where position relative to the monster you are fighting is important. Depending on your speed stat, you will be able to see the turn order for you, your Star Children, and the enemy. You can position yourself to the left, right, behind, or in front of the enemy to attack them with basic attacks or use special abilities, each monster has different attack patterns that can inflict damage on you depending on where you are positioned.

A few mechanics are added to make the fights more entertaining, such as attacking an enemy head-on where you know he will be unleashing a devastating attack on his next turn. In doing so you will be able to increase the "Chain Gauge" which can slow down the enemy significantly, allowing you and your star children to attack multiple times in a combo.

In Conception 2 you play as the main hero of the story known as "God's Gift", a disciple born with an immense amount of "Star Energy" or "Ether" that is needed to purge the world of "Dusk Circles" that see monsters spew forth onto the world at an alarming rate. The Dusk Circles are mostly dormant and it's up to the disciples of the Fort City's Academy to save the world.

The game features 7 heroines where you will be able to chat with them and increase your bond between each other, once you have gained 100 Bond Points you can create a Star Child with any of the heroines, as long as you haven't made them upset or angry at you. You need 3 Star Children to create a new party to bring into a dungeon, up to a maximum of 3 parties (not including yourself). You can also bring along any of the heroines to fight alongside you, as each heroine has different stats and abilities. Another interesting factor is having the family bonus where you take a heroine and the Star Children of said heroine for an extra bonus to your combat.

Overall I am really enjoying the Demo for the game on the Vita and 3DS, and while the Vita version does take advantage of the large LED screen, the core gameplay is similar across the board with no concerns. I can't wait for the game to be released come April 15th.

Official Conception 2 Website

~Djr7

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in review [9.5/10]

So Rho started playing monster hunter a awhile ago and was insistent it was the best thing ever. Part of buying my 3DS was because Monster Hunter 4 would come out on this platform and I promised I would give it a shot when it was released. In the meantime, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate would be released to give me an idea of what Monster Hunter was about. I think I finally see why this game alone made the PSP a success, how stupid of Sony to lose it on the Vita but  I digress.

Etrian Odyssey 4 in Review [7.5/10]

I haven't posted in awhile but decided to maybe post a bit again. I'll see how long it lasts this time... I digress, my latest game I played is Etrian Odyssey 4 or EO4 (I'll do a review of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate too). For me, this was my first real exposure to this series. I attempted to play the first one, but I gave up 10-15 mins in when I died too many times. It was said this game was "easier" so I gave it a shot.

Xbox, PS4, Nintendo News

More changes, announcements, and deals with Nintendo's latest video showcasing their latest news.
The first WiiU bundle is set at $390, while this may seem pricey, it's actually a pretty sweet deal.
I don't fully recommend buying this bundle unless you have your heart set on getting ZombieU.

ZombieU Bundle                                                  Regular price
- WiiU Deluxe, Nintendo Land                             - WiiU Deluxe ($350) includes Nintendo Land
- ZombieU                                                           - Pro controller ($50)
-Pro Controller                                                     - ZombieU ($60)
Total of ($390)                                                     Total of  $460

Additionally, new communities as well as the google maps app on the WiiU are available as of today.
A new feature for the WiiU will be an automatic 10% return on all your online purchases which will be added to your Nintendo funds, meaning you get online credit to use for purchasing titles online through the e-shop.

Nintendo is also releasing a sweet deal if you haven't picked up a 3DS yet.
Purchase a 3DS XL + the upcoming Luigi's Mansion and receive Starfox 3D for free, there are other titles as well you can choose from.

Here are the games being released during march
Walking Dead Survival Instinct March 26th (WiiU)
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will be available for both 3DS and WiiU on March 19th
Luigi's Mansion (3DS)
Castlevania Mirror of Fate (3DS)  released March 5th
Fire Emblem has more DLC available today (there are now 3 dlc maps 3DS)
Animal Crossing (3DS)
Harmo Knight is another rhythm game where jumping and hitting things plays songs, which looks rather fun but I'll stick with my Final Fantasy Theatrhythm.
As well as various e-shop games

PS4 has potentially leaked what appears to be a prototype of their next controller, using what appears to be some sort of small digital screen on their controller. Sony will announce their next console on feb 20th in New York, which may cost around $400.

Xbox's next console looks to further tackle the use of Kinect as well as having technology that will extend the contents of your screen to incorporate your living room wall for added peripherals, kind of like a projector showing an image that extends your screen.

~Djr7

The Return of Fire Emblem

It has been 6 long years since the last decent fire emblem game. Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn (2007), the first N.A. sequel to a previous Fire Emblem game (Path of Radiance 2005). While FE (Fire Emblem) Shadow Dragon (2009) was a poor remake of the original Fire Emblem game and I do not consider it a worthy mention in the Fire Emblem series.

The next Fire Emblem game is titled "Awakening", and looks to be one of the best FE games to date. The game looks to have been incredibly improved on several aspects from past FE games. FE Shadow Dragon tried to change things up by acting as an easier game for new players to the series, unfortunately the game had chopped up most of the dialogue heavy story and removed the FE difficulty by replacing fallen comrades with new ones. While my hate for the last Fire Emblem should stay contained within a locked safe and shouldn't be touched with a ten meter pole, it helps show some light on where Intelligent Systems has decided to go with improving the FE formula.

I am very upset to learn that there is a 3DS bundle for the Fire Emblem game, as I really want it but already have a 3DS.

Awakening looks to stay with the classic Fire Emblem design, but looks make several improvements in certain areas. The New Fire Emblem is said to add more unique classes, while I do not know what this entirely means, lets look at how the previous FE games utilized new classes.

Fire Emblem - The only game to have the player be an actual character in the game, albeit only the essence of the tactician and not an actual usable character.

Fire Emblem Sacred Stones - Removed the useless player character. Introduced new 2nd tier classes with the ability to choose between 2 or 3 classes for leveling up. Added sub classes that could be labelled as tier 0.5, there were only three characters each belonging to mage, warrior and knight.

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance - Removed the items used to level up to 2nd tier and replaced the Dark Mages class with Wind Mages and removed custom choice 2nd tier classes, also removing the Dancer class which saddened me. Introduced a multiple of horse riding classes to replace the Ranger, as well as adding the soldier class. Introduced new race class of animals (Laguz).

Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn - Introduced a third tier of classes and trolled players with enemy Dark Mages but no playable Dark Mage class.

Fire Emblem Awakening appears to re-introduce the player as a character, but this time the player will be able to make a custom playable character, hopefully this custom character actually fits in with the story. I speculate that there will be two tiers of classes with an extra beginner sub class that was in the Sacred Stones game. Since they are offering more classes it seems plausible that you will be able to choose between classes for tier 2 level ups. From the character description on the official Fire Emblem site, I believe they are finally bringing back the Dark Mage, which has me jumping for joy. Additionally there are over 40 classes, introducing the return of the Troubadour, Ranger, Great Knight, Valkyrie, and my favourite Dancer. New classes include a Trickster class which seems to come from the Theif, a Griffon Rider, a Pegasus riding mage and more. The main characters of each Fire Emblem game have been of a different class, having given us rapier, axe, lance, and sword wielding lords from the first two FE games in N.A., mercenary leading hero of Path of Radiance and magic wielder of Radiant Dawn, It seems we will be getting another Ike mercenary leader for this one.

The game's story currently looks to be as big as Radiant Dawn/ Path of Radiance, with multiple nations and possible enemy rulers, the game could in fact look to be a new series with a possible sequel if it sells well. An interesting fact is there is a character known as Marth, who bears a mask; will this game be somehow tied to the past two Fire Emblem games? (FE released a sequel to Shadow Sword but it wasn't localized).

The combat appears to have increased the pace significantly, and looks to incorporate team attacks as you can strategically group units together and move them as one, or place units near others for team attacks. The game is also apparently 1-2 players, but I believe the game is only multiplayer in online battles. The Critical Hits were something I always enjoyed in terms of visuals, but after seeing the Critical animation for archers on the Trailer, it seems critical attacks might have been ignored for added spectacles. On a side note free DLC is available within a set period of time upon purchase, but the notion of more DLC will hopefully not feel like we are paying for content that should have been in the game at launch.

The visuals of the game represent the DS and Gameboy Advance graphics, but show wonderful 3D battles and cutscenes. The 3D models look to be the best for human figures, showing detail and colour whereas the past 3D games have been bland and low on quality. The game also shows some awesome animated videos as well as beautiful 2D images of the characters during dialogue. The actual 3D effect for the 3DS will hopefully stand out and make the game appear even greater looking, but that is hard to judge without having the actual game. Another thing to note is the added voice casting, while the game isn't totally voiced, there are a few words and emotions that are voiced for each character during dialogue, which will offer a greater sense of the characters and their personalities, they even talk during combat which is a nice added feature.

Romance and Relationships have been given a huge boost as we will finally be able to see increase in relations between allies and what looks to be a more intricate system for allowing characters to increase their fondness and friendship level. The game also announces that character relations can reach marriage, whether or not it will be a deeper experience than a quick 2D dialogue remains to be seen.

Overall this new Fire Emblem game has the best art that looks and feels new and fresh, the game appears to have been developed to try and be the best FE game to date, and I certainly cannot wait for it to be released on Feb 4th. http://fireemblem.nintendo.com
~Djr7

Spoiler-Free Review: Virtue's Last Reward [8.5/10]

So it was a little over a year ago when they announced their would be a sequel to the 999 game for the DS. Being one of the best titles for the DS imo, I was ecstatic to hear this. It was funny, as back then, you walk into a game shop and no one knew what the hell 999 was. 1 year later, and it is sold out as well as one of the biggest games for the 3DS. The mixture of a mystery story and puzzles hits the perfect spot. I guess I should actually review the game instead of rambling on? ( I can continue my rambling later)

Kid Icarus Uprising Initial Review - 10/10

No game has received this much hype and media presence on the 3DS. Kid Icarus Uprising, despite what other critics say, is the best game on the 3DS hands down. Now this is saying quite a bit, but the game is pure entertainment with how it was designed.

Pit has returned after 25 some odd years since his last full game in 8bit glory. Medusa's army is rising after a 25 some odd years hiatus, I see what you did there Nintendo. Anyway, Pit must take flight, shooting enemies in Star Fox fashion before landing on ground for some CQC, and an eventual boss fight for each level of the game.

The game was designed by Masahiro Sakurai, who also worked on S.S.B.B (Super Smash Bros Brawl), and you can tell with the menu layout and game modes that he implemented, as well as all the extra features.

Here's a breakdown of the main aspects of Kid Icarus Uprising.

Narrative: You are thrown into the fray, with no back-story or reason to fight, other than Medusa's army is rising and you must seek her defeat, with the help of Lady Palutena. The story is simple, nothing fancy, but the environments and enemies help convey the setting and overall feel of game. In each level there is constant chit-chat between Pit, Palutena, and any other character in each chapter. The dialogue is hilarious at times, and there is never a silent moment. Some critics find the dialogue to be a bit annoying, but it is much more amusing than having pre, or post chatter after the action like Fire Emblem or other conversation heavy titles that help develop a character outside the actual game-play.

Game-play: There are three segments to each level, Star Fox air shooting, followed by ground combat, and finally a boss fight. The game is incredibly fun for land and air combat, and can get ridiculously hard if you set the difficulty to 9.0. Before playing any chapter you can spend the game's currency (hearts) to increase the difficulty from 2.0 - 9.0, gaining more rewards such as weapons and collectibles in each play-through. In certain levels, "Intensity Gates" will grant access to special areas if you are playing at the right difficulty, these areas reward players with mini boss fights and better loot. Other than the story mode, you can play online which is also surprisingly fun and addictive without worrying about lag or connection issues. The game features an abundant amount of weapons you can gain, fuse, and purchase. Each weapon allows you to explore multiple play styles such as close combat with claws, or long range sniping with rail guns or bows. It is also fun fusing these weapons to create more powerful variations. Additionally, Masahiro has introduce some SSBB features such as collectible "Idols", which are the "Trophies" of S.S.B.Brawl.

Online: I was skeptical at first, but after playing a "Light vs Dark" game mode with some folks in Japan, I had no lag until the game was already over. There are two game-modes for multiplayer, first off you can play locally with friends, or globally with anyone online. "Light vs Dark" pits 2 teams of 3 against each other in death match fashion, granting the last killed player on a team to take the role of either Dark Pit or Light Pit, then it's up to each team to kill off Pit to win the game. "Free-for-All" puts you against 5 other players in straight up free-for-all action. Both game modes let you choose any of your weapons you have gained throughout the story mode, and balances out how much you are worth upon dying based on your items level, meaning a low level weapon player can gain the advantage over someone with a high powered weapon.

Difficulty: You can easily set the pace and take gambles on your skill level by setting the difficulty anywhere between 0.0 and 9.0. This severely reduces the amount of hits Pit can take, and I still struggle on the very first flight section of the game on 9.0. The amount of enemies increase as the difficulty goes up, but what is great about this jump in difficulty is it forces you to actually strategize when you want to shoot and when you want to stop shooting in order to gain the movement boost to dodge incoming attacks during the flight segments. Shooting your weapon during flight segments severely diminishes your dodging abilities and really forces you to plan out when to attack and when to dodge. The difficulty difference is very enjoyable for taking risks in order to gain better weapons for fusing. The only negative outcome of this difficulty is the boss fights, the bosses hurt like hell, but the problem resides in how quickly they are dispatched if you dodge well and time your attacks, it isn't game-breaking, but the early bosses are a bit weak for taking hits (imo).

Extras: Weapons, Idols, Puzzles, collections are everywhere, there's even a mini-game where you toss these egg like objects into the air in a chance to collect a new idol, similar to Super Smash Bros Melee coin operated trophy mini-game.

Controls: The game is super easy to play, the circle-pad is your movement, the "L" button is your shooting, and you use the touchscreen to aim and control the camera by swiping towards your desired direction. The controls are very fluid, but critics have been saying it is a bit difficult to get use to swiping the touchscreen to change your camera. I however find that this camera mechanic adds skill to the game, being able to move around swiftly, altering your view before aiming is a skill that will set apart the good from the great.

If there was ever a reason to buy the 3DS for a certain game, Kid Icarus Uprising is one of those games. The game brings something for everyone, a fun, comical cast characters; two addictive game modes; a reliable online PvP experience; and enough collectibles and weapon fusing extras to keep you busy.

Kid Icarus Uprising is worth the buy.

~Djr7

3DS Update February 2012 Quality Games

I really want a BRS case for my 3DS

It's been a while since my last update but here's some insight to what the 3DS and the Wii have in store for us in the near future.

BUY IT!

Resident Evil Revelations was released a few weeks ago, and while I am still in the first few chapters of the game, it is absolutely amazing, refer to my review found on the site for more details.

Still a damn good game

For any 3DS Ambassadors out there, I recently downloaded my free copy of Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones. If you haven't ever played a Fire Emblem game, I recommend you purchase this when it becomes available in the e Shop at a later date. 

Return of the Arena?

Additionally, Fire Emblem Awakening 3DS was announced with an awesome trailer depicting a mix between anime and cell shading. This will be the thirteenth fire emblem installment and feature a fresh new story since Fire Emblem Path of Radiance (2005). We probably won't see this coming to N.A late 2013 assuming it comes out around early 2013 for Japan. 

SNAAAAAAKE!

Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3DS was recently released and I just realized I need to go and buy it. Still too early for any reviews but expect them to come in the following weeks.

Plenty of hype

Kid Icarus is set to release March 23rd and it appears to be the most hyped game from the 3DS lineup. From what I have seen it will come with a 3DS stand to support hours of play in case your hands get tired. The game looks to take control of street pass and an abundant of online modes taking full advantage of the 3DS's capabilities.

Gunna be awesome

Additionally for the Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles is coming out in April. This game had several nominations for Game of the Year and is one of the few Wii games from third parties that are a necessity for any Wii owner.

Going to be awesome as well

Also, The Last Story, and epic fantasy story driven RPG is coming to N.A. later this summer. Created by one of the guys behind several Final Fantasy games, this game will look to add some flare to the Wii's assortment of superb games. 

That's all for now!

~Djr7

Resident Evil Revelations Review 1st Hour

This is the potential that the 3DS has in terms of quality gaming. I almost find myself wanting this game to be on a bigger screen since the 3D capabilities are not that eye-popping like other titles such as Zelda or Warrior Chronicles.

Revelaitons, yes that was done on purpose, there was a printing error where the side of the package reads Revelaitons, instead of Revelations. That is about the only error I find with the game, the controls are very tight and they're a perfect transition from any other resident evil game.

The graphics are surprisingly good for a handheld, they are actually better than the Wii version of RE.4 and the game's atmosphere is a return to evil that has me thinking of RE.4 once again. Don't let these images fool you, the game looks great on the small screen.

Even though i'm only an hour into the game, this is a true Resident Evil game that is a must buy for anyone who has a 3DS and enjoys Resident Evil.

There are no more zombies in this installments of Resident Evil, instead we have a virus that seems to turn people into walking crustaceans that resemble the twitchy monsters from RE.4 when you enter the hospital area. Another major thing to note is the game-play and atmosphere differences that take place between past and present chapters. The present chapters are all done via the ghost ship, invoking a thrilling environment with some nice audio/visuals to provoke a classic horror atmosphere. Then there are the past chapters where we are taken off the ship (because we might get a little sea sick har har har). These past chapters tell us a little more about the story and background all while killing tons of enemies with a large supply of ammo, mimicking RE.5's shoot-em-up action game-play.

Overall this game is one of the best available for Nintendo's handheld and will hopefully spark future 3DS only games from Capcom.

~Djr7

Zelda Four Swords Free Download for 3DS and DS

So after hearing about this at E3, i'm happy to find out another free download from Nintendo is being given out, this one being the Four Swords game originally release on the GameCube and Gameboy Advance back in 2004.

The game was given an 8.1/10 from GameSpot and received overall a good reception. What is great about this is the four player multiplayer experience between both 3DS and DS among friends. This is a way better method for this game as it takes full advantage of the mobility and wireless hook-up. The game is not a re-mastered or updated version like OoT 3D was, but simply a free re-release for our mobile gaming devices in celebration of 25 years of Zelda, although there is a new single player mode.

So why wouldn't you want it? It's free and fun to play all your friends, assuming you have friends with either a 3DS or DS.

For a limited time between Sept. 28th and February 20th you can download the game for free on either the Nintendo eShop channel or DSi Ware


And so ends another update.
~Djr7

3DS: September Update

Just to review the changes announced since the last post we were told the following:

- Price drop from 249.99 to 169.99.

- Ambassador program for those who bought the 3DS before August with free games.

- More info about new 3D games.

I have currently downloaded Metroid and Mario from the NES on my 3DS with the ambassador program for free, which prove to be good time killers while I transit downtown for classes.

What's new for the 3DS this time around? 

- FLAME RED 3DS is expected to be released sometime before Christmas for N.A. It's just a new colour for the 3DS with no difference in software or pricing. 

I still prefer my Aqua Blue.

- Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance to include Neku from "The World Ends With You" DS game.

  The game won't be out till spring for Japan and probably summer for N.A but there is no confirmed release date. 

This is actually catching my attentions as someone who has never played a KH game (due to my dislike for the Disney theme) but I will look more into this.

Mario Kart 7 to be released Dec. 4th 

Super Mario 3D Land to be releae on Nov. 13th 

That's it for this month, we'll see if there's any more big news in the coming months nearer Christmas.

On a final note for my personal 3DS news, been playing a lot of Pokemon lately and just picked up Devil Survivor Overclocked today and cant wait to start playing.  

SMT: Devil Survivor Overclocked review

While I haven't even played the game (shoot me I know), I have collected some info, mainly review scores from various sites to provide a review of the game. Devil Survivor Overclocked is the exact same game from the Nintendo DS, however an extra day is added in the end with a complete overhaul of voice actors added. The majority of the voice-overs are in the final day. An additional 150 monsters are added but that still isn't enough for me to back up the idea of a re-make, but fans of the original say it's worth the buy. The game actually doesn't even try to take advantage of the 3D capabilities which is a real shame, save for the opening sequence and the Demon fusing. Overall the game did get a cleanup. The game itself does offer a much deeper story towards the 8th day, and being a sucker for story driven games I know i'll end up picking this game up eventually when I catch up on my stacked games-to-beat list.

The original game was a huge success, providing a mix of battle styles as this RPG brings a fresh and fun gaming experience with an captivating story line.

Final Comments: If you loved the original, well the game isn't much difference save for a clean-up and added content, it's a mixed feeling all around for whether or not you should spend the $40 on this one. If you haven't played the original (like myself) then it is HIGHLY recommended that you pick this up or grab the original as it is a great story line with plenty of customization action and RPG combat.

Rating from around the web:
IGN: 7.5/10
Nintendo 3DS Game Reviews:9/10
Games Radar: 9/10
Game Pro: 4/5
GameSpot: Critics give it an 8.2/10 while Users gave it a 9.3/10

On another note: Devil Survivor 2 is expected some time in 2012 for N.A. while it has been out since July 28th  for Japan. The game was developed for the original DS since this was worked on before they decided to re-make the original on the 3DS.

Sequel to 999 (NDS Game) Trailer Subbed!

So, I just noticed today that there will be a sequel to the 999 NDS game coming out for the 3DS:



This game would be enough of a reason for me to buy the 3DS once either the translation or a localization for North America comes out. I loved the first one so much that it had two different posts about it. It's an awesome game; I could tell that it was the same makers the second I saw the drawing style, which was confirmed once I actually watched the trailer. I hope it's as awesome as the first one!

~Pearz

3DS: August/September Update

The latest news from Nintendo has me excited all over again about their near-future plans for their latest handheld.

After giving us the ability to have Netflix on our lovable 3DS, as well as Internet-access, free (short) 3D videos, downloadable games and more, Nintendo has announced the following updates.

Price Drop!
Nintendo has announced that the 3DS will be lowered to $169.99 on August 12.

Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3DS

Samurai Warriors Chronicles gets a 6.5/10 from myself. I feel like I really need to post a review of this game, since it seems to have a bad review everywhere I look.

Samurai Warrior Chronicles (let's call it "SWC" for short) is a strategic role-playing 3rd person hack n' slash that will surely quench your hunger for cutting down foes at every given opportunity. Now, IGN and several others have given this game a mediocre score of 5/10, but they really don't dig deep and discuss all the positives this game has to offer, which is quite sad since I have about 30hrs put into play-time and have enjoyed it.

3DS Review

Nintendo has come out with the very first instalment of true 3D graphics without the need for glasses, and on a portable game console.

The 3DS has a promising future ahead of it, with a solid list of interesting games to come out, including Zelda Orcarina of Time 3D. The 3DS is an amazing little device that allows players to play some amazing games in 3D. If you haven't looked into how it works, let me fill you in.

Inception

So I know its been a while since this movie came out, but the DVD quality only came out recently for "sampling".

It is as good a movie as people say it is. Won't go into detail as everyone has their own theory about it. Just say it is a really good movie.

As a side note, found this 3DS demo at E3 hilarious.

This is what you call product placement. I wonder if the girl comes as an accessory for your 3DS.

~Pearz