User:MeatBall104/Games

Ever wondered what other games I play outside of the Smash series? Then read this page, where you can see a long list of games owned by yours truly, MeatBall104 as well as what I think of them! The games I own are sorted by the system they're on, as well as by series. However, please take note of a few things:

1. I'm not listing every single game I own for each system.
2. I'm not listing the Super Smash Bros. games on here, as my opinions of them are already mentioned on my main userpage.

Home Consoles:

Nintendo GameCube:

NOTE: I do not actually own this system!

Game:

My thoughts:

Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat

I have yet to complete this game, but I like it. The motion controls are some of the best that I have experienced on the Wii, the graphics are gorgeous for a GCN game, (I even think it looks better than DKCR), the flow of movement is incredible, and it feels utterly satisfying to punch the shit out of enemies. However, from what I've played, the game is rather easy and there's no incentive to replay the levels besides beating your own banana records.

Nintendo Wii:

Game Title:	My thoughts:
Wii Sports	To be honest, I seldom play this game anymore, but from what I remember, the game is not very deep and serves more as a tech demo for what the Wii is capable of. I think the game could've done with at least a few more sports, and maybe some sub-modes within the sports to make them replayable. Nowadays, I only play this game when there are family and friends to play with, and I only play it alone just to watch the Miis do ridiculous jumps in Tennis, or run around with no feet in Baseball.
Wii Music	I'm not gonna lie. I find this game to be the best of the "Wii series". Sure, the controls are simple, but games don't need complicated controls to be fun. I enjoy improvising to make the songs sound unique, and the amount of songs and instruments is incredible, (even though you can only have up to six band members). The only flaw with the game though is that there's not much to do outside of jamming and saving replays of your performances. The Games and Lessons don't offer much, outside of being required to be played in order to unlock more of what the game has to offer. Not to mention that even though jamming is fun enough to look past this issue somewhat, most of the songs are ripped from the public domain, and most of them would not be familiar to younger children. Why couldn't there be more Nintendo songs? Or better yet, why couldn't there be an option to make up your own songs? This could open a variety of opportunities, and I'm sure that the game would've gotten more favorable reviews if this was implemented.
Wii Fit Plus	Like Wii Sports, I seldom touch this game, and I'm not a huge fan of it anyway. The only activities that are replayable or even memorable are the ones that aren't just Yoga or Strength Training exercises, (with my favorite being the Obstacle Course) and it's fun to try and beat your records and unlock harder difficulties. The BMI system is frankly crap. How the hell does less-than-perfect posture make someone fat? Overall, this game won't interest you unless you're trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle full of exercise...and for some reason don't want to go for a jog or do P90X instead.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii	This game is a worthy follow-up to the classics we all know and love, and is a must-buy for any Wii-owner, (especially those who have nostalgia boners for 2D Mario). The level design is clever, and the game is pretty hard at times, especially when going for all the Star Coins (even more especially if you try to do so on Level 9-7). The four-player co-op was hectic, and most of the people I've played it with didn't like it. However, it's still a blast and can be a better experience as long as there are 1-2 skilled players participating. As for the alternate modes, they're just as shallow as they are forgettable. And for a minor nitpick, why are there two random, nameless, and generic Toads following the Mario Bros.? Surely they could've added other playable characters, (*cough* Wario Bros. *cough*). Sadly though, the disc has since become severely scratched and I can no longer play the game.
Mario Kart Wii	Currently, it's my 2nd favorite Mario Kart game, with MK7 coming a close third. The tilt controls felt right, and were very responsive, the roster was large, and the large choices of vehicles was a nice touch. The ability to ride motorbikes and perform tricks was also nice, (though bikes could've been balanced better with karts), as well as being able to play as your Mii, albeit with an obnoxious voice that sounds like it's on drugs, (which is admittedly hilarious to listen to) and no actual words coming out of its mouth. The flaws with the game are that the roster has too many "Baby" characters, some of the original tracks aren't all that memorable, the graphics don't really push the Wii's capabilities despite the game coming out AFTER Super Mario Galaxy, (a GREAT-looking game) and the items are unbalanced. Outside of those though, the game is a blast, and you WILL find yourself coming back to it even after unlocking everything and even when there's no one to play with.
Super Paper Mario	The first PM game I've played, and my favorite out of the series. The plot was interesting, the levels were well-designed and full of secrets, the visuals were nice, and everything that each playable character brought to the table made the gameplay fun. The main flaws with the game however are the fact that Mario's special flipping-ability is overused, the levels look barren when in 3D, and the game is extremely wordy to the point where even characters with little to no role in the story have a lot to say. Unlike the few other RPGs I've played, the game has a surprisingly large amount of aftergame content, (which get this: is actually compelling to go after) including finding optional Pixls, buying Tiptron, unlocking all recipes, finding all the secret treasures, completing both "Pits of 100 Trials", and beating the 100 warriors from World 6. In short, this game is great, and a worthy successor to the previous two games.
Wario Land: Shake It	It's the only Wario Land game I've played, so I can't compare it to others. The hand-drawn visuals are absolutely fantastic, the soundtrack is catchy, (especially the tracks that play when you have to race back to the level's entrance), the anime-esque story cutscenes are gorgeous, the level design is impressive, and the fanservice is incredible, particularly for a Nintendo game, (looking at you, Captain Syrup). On the subject of gameplay, it's fun and addictive to explore every level, and try to find as many coins as possible, while taking advantage of Wario's abilities in order to manipulate the environment and find secrets such as treasures, (something even more fun to do especially since there's no time limit). The bosses are very clever, and some of the most interesting ones I've ever fought, (with my favorites from this game being Hot Roderick, Bloomsday, and the Shake King). The replayability is also really high, not just for fun, but also to complete missions, and find treasures you missed, or secret maps (the latter aren't unlocked until you beat the game) which open up extremely tough extra levels. Also, once you beat the game, you even get the ability to replay boss fights, complete with their own sets of missions that aren't present in the original quest. The sense of exploration is accentuated further by the process of buying maps at the Pirate Shop, where you can buy the map to any world in any order. However, this leads to the main flaw with the game. Since world progression all depends on whether you can buy the map to the next world, you'll often find yourself replaying stages over and over again, grinding coins until you can afford to progress.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl	See here for details.
Donkey Kong Country Returns	A must-have for the Wii, and the only DKC game I've played. The level design was creative and fun, and still fun to replay even after beating the game 200%. Even though I never played its predecessors, I know that the health system was upgraded from those games, so now each Kong has two hearts, which definitely removes a lot of frustration from the player. The graphics are some of the best on the Wii, and the original music tracks are great, (though too much of the music was brought back from the original games). The new types of levels are amazing, especially the Rocket Barrel levels, which trigger quite the adrenaline rush, (assuming you can look past that damn bat). My main complaint with the game is that you can't play as Diddy by yourself; you can only play as him in 2-player mode (which isn't really all that fun, especially if you're playing with someone who sucks) and he is reduced to a mere power-up in 1P mode. Though you can exploit this by killing P1 in co-op and then beating the level as Diddy, it still costs you two balloons upon death, and you have to go to the trouble of killing DK again every time that happens.
Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast	I honestly don't get why this game got such negative reviews. The racing mechanics are solid, the music is catchy, the roster of characters is large, (first time you get to play as the Kremlings) and the game has a variety of modes larger than any other racing game I've played, (with Free Run being my favorite, where you pick a character and race through any course with unlimited laps). I never cared for the graphics, or the voice clips, and a lot of the tracks steal aesthetics from each other, with only the layout distinguishing them. Overall, while not the best, it is at the very least a decent racing game. Like NSMBW however, I can no longer play it due to damage to the disc.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games	Eh, this game's alright. I haven't touched it for a while, but I remember it was my very first introduction to Sonic the Hedgehog, (who would soon become my favorite non-Nintendo franchise).
Sonic Unleashed	One of my favorite Sonic games out there, which in my opinion has one of the better gimmicks introduced throughout the series. This game is home to my favorite Sonic story of all time, with the best voice-acting ever to come out of the 4Kids cast. The day stages are fast, fun, and replayable, (with the exception of Eggmanland), especially when trying to S-rank all of them. Unlike most reviewers, I really enjoy the night stages, with fun combat and challenging platforming. In fact, I ended up preferring the night stages, since they regularly offer new level designs, (running along the great wall of china, swinging through a volcanic factory, climbing waterfalls, etc.) while the day stages are just fast-paced obstacle courses that are too easy, (once again, except for Eggmanland). While easily outclassed by future Sonic games on the Wii, this game has great presentation, and is overall a hit.
Sonic and the Black Knight	Unlike most fans, I enjoyed this game a lot. The sense of speed is still present and strong, the combat isn't too tedious, (mainly because most of the enemies are easily killed with 1-3 hits, and even if you DO get bored, you can simply jump over them) and the presentation is splendid. The flaws the game has are the fact that every level is on rails, with no sense of exploration whatsoever, the swordplay is slightly unresponsive, and the game has a confusing mission structure that makes it impossible to tell how to progress. Even if it's not perfect, I still think the game is a godsend compared to Secret Rings.
Sonic Colors	Still my favorite Sonic game to this day, and for a lot of reasons. The game is one of the best-looking Wii games, the soundtrack is excellent, (particularly the tracks for Planet Wisp) the gameplay still offers something different without completely altering the formula, and the game is home to the most hilarious story I've ever played through. Though the game's levels are designed very adequately, though I wish that the developers hadn't put so much emphasis on 2D platforming, as even though 3D sections are frequent, they mostly involve effortlessly stepping to the side to dodge obstacles, and drifting into the side-scrolling portions. (Seriously, there aren't even FIVE sections that consist of 3D platforming). The game is short, but very replayable, especially if you want to unlock Super Sonic, (I currently have 5/7 emeralds). The stages that must be beaten to unlock the emeralds are well designed as well, though a bit on the short side, like the majority of the normal stages; (Each world has 6 levels, with 3 being of typical length and 3 shorter ones that focus on a certain stage gimmick). Not to mention that the bosses are easy, and three of them are just recolors of previous ones. Regardless of these issues however, the levels still are fun, and the tight controls only adds to the thrill, (though Sonic's jump is a bit floaty for my tastes). If you haven't played 3D Sonic before, play this game first, BEFORE going to the others.
Metroid: Other M	Call me crazy, but overall this is my favorite Metroid game. The graphics and atmosphere are great, (in fact, I think this is the best looking Wii game ever) the character models (especially Samus, woo-mama!) and cutscenes are well-polished, and don't even look like they're running on the Wii's engine, the soundtrack (while minimal) is great, the gameplay is fun and action-packed, (if a bit on the easy side) and the game is home to some of the best videogame bosses I've ever fought. The only flaws I see in this game are the awkward shift between the two different gameplay perspectives, the limited abilities present while in first-person mode, the lackluster story with endless monologue and unanswered questions, and the subpar voice acting (mostly Samus, though she does sound better during actual dialogue and not monologuing). Obviously, the main complaints about this game are the lack of non-linearity and the authorization system for upgrades, but I really don't see these as offensive. For the former issue...well, this is a guy who plays Mario games above all else, so of course I would prefer linear games, (though I don't mind exploration), and the latter issue ties right in with that, and outside of some questionable scenarios where Adam decides to authorize a power-up, I didn't mind having abilities unlocked just by going with the flow.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption	I couldn't even get past the first exploration area since I couldn't get used to the controls easily and got lost a lot. In general, I don't like first-person shooters, so it's obvious I wouldn't be a huge fan of this game. I may pick it up and play it seriously later on, but not right now.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword	The first Zelda game I've ever owned or even played. It's a good game that takes some of the best advantage of the Wii that I've ever seen. I haven't beaten it yet, but from what I can gather, the gameplay is fun, the controls are sharp, and the presentation is outstanding. The main flaws with the game are the lengthy and cutscene-heavy opening, and the head-scratching and sometimes frustrating dungeons. I always thought that the concept behind the Zelda games was cool, (y'know, exploring dungeons, solving puzzles, swordplay, etc.) but to be honest, I'm not keen on doing it in 3D. I honestly prefer the 2D Zeldas, but for what it's worth, Skyward Sword is a good game.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land	The first Kirby game I ever owned, and to this day it is among my most favorites of the series. The game has some of the best graphics on the system, (which only makes me more upset at how NSMBW could have looked much better, especially since it released after SMG), and the level design is cool, making it fun to replay the entire game multiple times even after collecting everything. The soundtrack is great too, the story is an interesting departure from the series' standard, (no longer just being a "stop some form of Dark Matter" plot) with an interesting plot-twist, (though they never explain why Kirby is suddenly teaming up with his rivals; not to mention that the enemies are still against him despite Dedede being on his side this time around). The gameplay was fun, and with the abundance of copy abilities, levels never play the same way twice. The main flaw with the game however, is its overall ease, (though thankfully the difficulty picks up once you reach Halacandra), and the game is made even more easier when playing with friends. Speaking of which, the multiplayer is fun, though it sucks that P1 is stuck with Kirby, (a design choice that plagues tons of platformers that offer co-op) and that if P1 dies, then everyone loses. If you're still not satisfied with the challenge, there is also an extra mode that will serve your ass to you on a silver platter and ask if you want fries with it. And in this mode, the bosses are eons harder than before, and you WILL die on them at least once, especially the "EX" version of the final boss, which to this day I still cannot beat for the life of me.
Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition	I was highly curious once this was announced, as I had never played any of the other Kirbies before RtD. I loved this compilation, and I think it had a lot more effort put into it than Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, which was just a shameless port of the SNES original with no new content. The games still hold up as well today as they did back then, and it's always cool to play through each available game in order to see how the series progressed. Though I didn't spend much time on these, the challenge rooms were fun and addicting to replay, and the ability to watch episodes of the Kirby anime was nice too. The only problem is the obnoxious frames that surround the gameplay, with no option for widescreen support (the only thing you can do is turn the frames off, but all it does is replace them with black bars). Overall, this is a great compilation, and should be in the library of any Kirby fan, or anyone curious enough to try him out.
de Blob	Haven't touched this game in over a year, but I prefer its sequel anyway.
de Blob 2	The superior sequel to the above game. The graphics are better, the story is even more interesting, and the gameplay added enough innovations to make it feel fresh while not scaring off veteran players. The only problem with the game is its overall lack of difficulty until the final level.
Endless Ocean	Like de Blob, I haven't touched this game in a while, but I find its sequel to be miles better anyway.
Endless Ocean: Blue World	The superior sequel to the above game, with better graphics, a better story, a more realistic approach, (such as the developers actually doing research before writing the descriptions for the animals, and creatures such as sharks and caimans actually posing a threat, unlike before where they could be petted and fed like any other animal) and many of the slight problems with the first game being fixed, (such as the player being able to explore the entire map of an area from the get-go, as opposed to being restricted to a circular portion of it, and being able to instantly learn the identities of fish instead of having to pat them first, (some fish in the first game were so hard to identify due to it taking A LOT of time to rub them enough to gain their info). The even larger number of creatures, additional tools, and introduction of freshwater diving were great additions, and even after you beat the game, you'll find hours of aftergame content (the most out of any game I've ever played) such as searching for legendary creatures, completing the encyclopedia, befriending all 11 species of dolphin, as well as completing countless sidequests that unlock as you unlock more areas to explore. The only flaw I can think of from this otherwise fantastic game is the lack of voice-acting, which can make it difficult to tell who's talking at times.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary	Description coming soon once I complete the game!
Tomb Raider: Underworld	Description coming soon once I complete the game!
Order Up!	One of the few 3rd party Wii games I actually care enough about, (though I do own others, but don't enjoy them all that much), and a pretty damn good one at that. The visuals, while not mind-blowing are cute, and it's one of the only 3rd parties I've played that actually has good voice acting, (the other being Sonic; most of the time). It's one of the few Wii games I've played that uses the motion controls excessively, yet well, and the cooking mechanics are all solid, (with the exception of carving ham, chopping whole chickens, or wrapping tamales, where the controls are very unresponsive). The ability to hire different assistant chefs with different abilities was a nice touch too. However, the problems don't stop there. Every time you earn all 5 stars for a restaurant, you have to then buy the next restaurant with a certain amount of coins, but usually, you'll have to grind money for a while before you can move on, which as a result, just unnecessarily pads the game out. Aside from these flaws, the game is still fun and should definitely be the first cooking game you try if you're interested in the genre.

Nintendo Wii U:

Game Title:	My thoughts:
Nintendo Land	Don't have much to say about this game. It's OK, and I think it makes great use of the gamepad. However, the minigames aren't very fun regardless and most of them require multiple players in order to be played, lowering my opinions of the game even more.
Super Mario 3D World	Officially my second favorite Mario game, and in my view, a better experience than 3D Land. The visuals are stupendous, the soundtrack is officially my favorite from the series, the level design is some of the most imaginative the series has seen since the Galaxy games. The gameplay is awesome, with four playable characters who control differently, but still can all do the same things, thus making choosing the right character for a level a complete non-issue. I enjoyed the new power-ups, with the Cat Suit being one of my new favorites, and the game's challenge is very high but not too frustrating. ANOTHER big plus is the fact that they finally started using original bosses, (albeit piss-easy ones) and that the special worlds as a whole are a lot better than those in 3D Land, (though the Mushroom and Flower worlds aren't getting any points for originality). Overall, the game is a blast, and should be in the collection of any Wii U owner.
Mario Kart 8	Easily the best in the Mario Kart series. The game has the best visuals of any Mario game to date, and the soundtrack is amazing, (they actually used live-recorded instruments as opposed to the MIDI files of previous games). The roster is also well done, (though the "Baby" and "Metal" characters were flat-out unnecessary) and the game has the best selection of Nitro tracks in the entire series. Though it didn't really change the gameplay, the anti-gravity sections were a nice addition, and they really worked well with MK7's gliding and underwater mechanics. I also think that the game does the best job with Retro tracks than any other game in the series. With MKDS and MK:SC, the retro tracks were merely graphically updated versions with no real changes whatsoever, while MKW and MK7 changed them up slightly in order to make use of their new mechanics. Here, some of the retro tracks aren't even recognizable anymore, (and of course, their remixed tracks bring the house down). Aside from the roster issue I mentioned above, flaws with the game include the fact that there are too few vehicles in the "ATV" class, (making their addition feel very last-minute) and the MKTV feature, which I haven't ever found myself using.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze	My new favorite DK game, and for many reasons. The visuals are superb, the soundtrack is officially my favorite from any video game, and the levels are designed well, even though there's less of them than DKCR. The game's challenge is also a lot higher than DKCR's, (especially the bosses and Key Temples) and the unlockable world at the end of the game is downright brutal. I also love the addition of new characters to partner up with, (though I'm still disappointed that you can't play as them in single-player) though this leads to some lack of balance and/or compelling to play with certain ones; Diddy is useless since he's outclassed by Dixie, and Cranky's ability, while fun, is too situational for its own good. Thus, I most often choose Dixie, especially since most of the collectibles and secret exits are built around using her abilities. And hell, she can even reach collectibles and secrets that were meant for other characters, making them EVEN MORE obsolete.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U	See here for details.
Sonic Lost World	Though I still prefer the 3DS version, this version of the game isn't half bad, and is very close behind its handheld counterpart in terms of how good it is. This game is hands down the best Sonic has ever looked, and the soundtrack is officially my favorite in the series. Though it did take some getting used to, I do think that game controls remarkably well, (except for the parkour, which was implemented MUCH better in the 3DS version) and the level design is very creative, (except for the flying ones, which I have never even attempted to play through again after beating them the first time) with a lot of emphasis on platforming and exploration, which helps the game's overall replayability. The only real flaws with the game are the lack of cohesion with the level design, the ridiculously easy boss battles, and the inability to re-watch cutscenes.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric	(NOTE: I did not buy this game until AFTER the huge patch was released, so my opinions will be different from those who played it beforehand)! I'm probably the odd man out when I say this, but I actually like this game. (Read: LIKE, not LOVE)! Is it the best Sonic game? Hell no, but it's certainly not the worst either! (That would be Secret Rings, imo). While definitely not the ideal gameplay for Sonic, I think the overall gameplay (with the exception of the Riptide missions) is decent, and the level design is somewhat clever, being full of hidden collectibles and spare parts that reward you for venturing off the path. The combat isn't nearly as tedious as everyone else says it is, and it's fun experimenting with the different attacks each character has (though I still think the Werehog in Unleashed was better overall). Since I got the game after the patch, I never came across any glitches, not even GRAPHICAL ones, (except for the occasional slowdown), and while I'm on the subject of the graphics, they definitely aren't as good as they were hyped up to be, and while cutscenes are animated fine, the in-game models (especially those for the NPCs) are downright ugly and are animated poorly. Aside from that, my only real problems with the game are the hassle of traversing the large hub-worlds between levels, the story not being written as well as that of Shattered Crystal or the TV show, and the fact that enemies are extremely good at landing hits on you, making you lose rings constantly. Overall, this game is not as bad as everyone says it is, but it's certainly no masterpiece. It's a perfectly average platformer that goes through the motions, and doesn't offer anything truly unique, and if you really want to try a game from this alternate continuity, play Shattered Crystal first, since it's MUCH better.
Bayonetta 1 & 2	Let me get this out of the way now: If you haven't played an M-rated game before, play these games first! With the exception of a few specific enemies, the gore is barely noticeable at all, the suggestive content and partial nudity are minimal, and the swearing is mostly limited to a few characters, (one of which disappears just 1-2 chapters into both games). Anyways, both of these games are fantastic and highly replayable, with the most compelling stories I've ever seen in a videogame, (moreso for the first game) and fun, frantic gameplay. The games also both have excellent soundtracks and superb graphics, (especially the second game). Unlike most other beat-em-up games I've played, the combat here feels more natural (i.e. it doesn't feel like it was just tacked on) and has the most gameplay options I've ever seen in a single game (while not having so many that it makes progression difficult). I love the Witch-Time mechanic, as well as the Torture Attacks and Umbran Climax, which also open up opportunities for strategy. The games both also have some of the best sets of bosses I've even encountered in my history of gaming, and though I'm not one to critique something like this, the enemies are all well designed from a visual standpoint. However, both games suffer from overall ease and short length, (though the second game is a bit harder) and the first game suffers from unnecessary QTEs and a pointless and mind-numbing Angel Attack minigame. The second game is overall the better experience, though it doesn't do much to achieve that. It suffers from a less exciting story, (which, while different, still shares a lot of plot-points, right down to Enzo almost getting his dick pulverized) an even shorter adventure, and hardly any new changes to the gameplay, except for the new Umbran Climax and the Tag Climax mode which is not all that fun. (And for a very personal issue, I prefer Bayonetta's outfit from the first game). Overall, both of these games are a blast to play, and should be in the collection of ANY Wii U owner, (as well as the first choice for those who are deciding on their first M-rated game).

Handhelds:

Nintendo DS:

NOTE: I do not actually own this system!

Game Title:	My thoughts:
Super Mario 64 DS	Currently, it's my favorite 3D Mario game, (and my favorite Mario game period), and even though I never played the original, the footage I've seen of it gives me cold, hard proof that this is the superior version. The controls are still as good as they apparently were before (unless you're playing on an actual DS), the updated visuals look nice, and the additional characters and power-ups give the player even more options than before, which (on top of being a mostly non-linear Mario game), makes the game even more replayable as not only can you choose to go out of order with the various star missions, but how you do this is also up to you. Maybe instead of going after King Bob-Omb, you can release the Chain Chomp guarding the bars. Or maybe instead of using Mario's Power Flower in a mission where it's required, you can instead use Luigi's spin jump to reach the high areas. One problem however, (in spite of my praise of the controls) is during the Bowser fights, where you're pretty much required to take out your stylus and draw circles on the touch screen, (unless you're OK with having your fingers covered in blisters) and that in order to avoid going through the trouble, you have to hold your stylus WHILE using the buttons to move and jump. Also, the 100-coin stars are not fun to go after. Not only is it challenging to find 100 coins within the large levels most of the time, but even if you manage to, the star appears right above your head, and at times this makes it hard to grab it. Finally, the game suffers from voice clips ripped right out of the original N64 game, (seriously, Nintendo, were you so hell bent on making this game a launch title that you were too lazy to record new voice clips)?
New Super Mario Bros.	I really enjoy this game, and though it pales in comparison to the other NSMB games, it's pretty good in its own right. The set of bosses was interesting to say the least, the level design was creative, (though if you're not playing to 100% the game, it's absurdly easy) and the controls are solid. However, the game is hampered by bland visuals that are hideous even for the Nintendo DS, extremely situational new power-ups that don't add much to the gameplay and are incredibly rare, (forcing you to rely on the Fire Flower most of the time) and a pathetic and lame final boss. In spite of those flaws, this game is very addicting and replayable and overall a lot of fun.
Mario Kart DS	A solid Mario Kart game with great track designs, passable presentation, and a decent, baby-free roster (though I really question why R.O.B. is in the game). The game's new Mission Mode is also very fun, and the game probably has the most challenging Grand Prix mode in the series. Overall, it's a good game that I don't have much to say about, though it's outclassed by all other entries afterwards.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem	I haven't played this game in over a year, due to obtaining much better games at a relatively fast rate. According to my memory, the game was addicting, and the difficulty was surprisingly high, making this the most challenging puzzle game I've ever played. The boss fights were pretty hard too, especially the final boss. My main problem with the game however, is the fact that in order to access the level designer, you have to go through a lengthy tutorial which, (just like most of the main game) is hard.
Kirby Super Star Ultra	Due to experience with KSS thanks to Kirby's Dream Collection, I can safely say that this is the superior version, with better graphics, full CGI cutscenes, and even more modes, with my favorites being Meta Knightmare Ultra, Revenge of the King, Helper to Hero, and The True Arena, (though the latter I still have yet to beat). The bosses are some of the best (and hardest) in the series, the soundtrack is great, and though most of the returning modes are rather easy, the new ones WILL rape you through the pants.
Sonic Classic Collection	This game was my introduction to the classic Sonic games, and this compilation is also one of the better ones I've played, (albeit somewhat lacking in other content besides the games). It was cool to play through the four games in order to see how the games evolved, (and now I can say that Sonic 3 & Knuckles is on my favorites list of Sonic games) and thanks to the many game overs I've received on all of them, it only makes me realize how easy most of Sonic's recent outings have been. However, I can't say I enjoyed this game enough to keep it in my 3DS for weeks on end. I played most of the Modern games before I got this, and tbh, I find them much better. So in short, I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone unless they have a REALLY WICKED nostalgia boner for the Genesis days, (something which I lack due to being born when that system had long gone out of style).
Tomb Raider: Legend	My only exposure to the 2006 game, so I can't compare it to the home console versions (though I HAVE seen walkthroughs of them so I have a basic idea). Based on the footage I've seen, this game stays true to its console siblings, and it even retains the 3D gameplay, (something not very common for the DS). The controls work pretty well, and the game DOES make good use of the system's touch screen. The plot is immersive and well-written (first time I've ever heard jokes in a Tomb Raider game before) and the levels are designed pretty cleverly, being loaded with hidden treasures that you may miss on your first playthrough which actually unlock decent content. The main problem with the game however, is the fact that it overall seems like your typical handheld port of a big-name console release. It tries so hard to play like its console counterpart, which works, but it also leads to some other flaws. Like most handheld ports, the cutscenes are highly compressed versions of those from the console game, except THIS time, it's like ENTIRE GAME was compressed. The level layouts are pretty much the same, (though with lots of invisible walls) the levels and action sequences take place in the same order, and the very small number of boss fights are all watered down from their original versions. With all of that said however, this game is fun, and is among the best "cash-grabbing handheld ports" that I've ever played.

Nintendo 3DS:

Game Title:	My thoughts:
Super Mario 3D Land	A fun and addictive Mario platformer that any 3DS owner should own. The graphics are great, the controls are perfect, the new power-ups are great and remain some of my favorites to this day, the level design is clever, (though the levels as a whole are too easy and too short for my liking). However, the game has a fair amount of flaws. For one, while it's nice to fight Boom Boom again, I wish that there could have been a few more bosses, since it got old having to fight the same three bosses over and over again. Also, the special worlds are a bit of a letdown, as most of those levels are just rehashes of previous levels with changes that range from slight aesthetic alterations, to major layout changes (such as replaying Level 2-1, but at sunset with all the Goombas replaced with Spinies). And some of the levels are rehashed too many times, (looking at you, castles and airships). Overall, while not the best, this is a great game and it does a fantastic job of combining Mario's 2D and 3D adventures.
New Super Mario Bros. 2	Personally, I find this game to be better than its Wii prequel, though still somewhat disappointing. The game is - outside of a few tricky spots - way too easy (seriously, the special worlds should have been WAY more challenging), the art-style is (while better-looking than its DS predecessor) rather dull, and the soundtrack is entirely reused from previous games. When I first encountered these flaws, I basically assumed that Nintendo just made this game to have a NSMB game on every system, (with that opinion being especially reinforced due to NSMBU having been announced at the same time). Despite those flaws however, the multiplayer is fun and not as frustrating as in the Wii game, Coin Rush mode is addicting to play, (especially the DLC packs), and the level design is some of the best out of the 2D Marios, (with this game having more levels than both of its prequels). The new power-ups (Raccoon Mario is back, woo!) and coin-centric gameplay are great additions, (though I wish the game would actually provide context for why the player should be looking for 1,000,000 coins), with the Gold Flower officially being one of my favorite Mario power-ups of all time. Though not a classic, this game should belong to anyone who has a 3DS, and you WILL have fun with it even after 100%ing it.
Mario Kart 7	My 2nd-favorite MK game, just barely being trumped by MKWii. The original tracks are the best in the series, (with my favorites being Wario Shipyard, Maka Wuhu, Neo Bowser City, and of course Rainbow Road, (imo, the best Rainbow Road in the series)), the blend of old and new mechanics made the game feel the most unique out of them all, (though I still have yet to try MK8) and the controls were perfect. The presentation is good for an early 3DS game, the AI puts up the best fight it ever has, and I like the little touch where extra percussion is added to the music when you enter 1st place. Flaws include the roster, which is smaller than MKWii's, (even though the 3DS is more than capable of holding a larger one) with some questionable additions, (i.e. Metal Mario, who isn't even a character), the smaller number of Battle stages, and the incredibly lengthy process for unlocking new custom parts, (you need a certain number of coins to unlock one, and you can only carry 10 coins per race, which can be lost easily; why not add a part shop with more reasonable prices where you could buy any part at any time?). Aside from these flaws, this would be my favorite Mario Kart. However, the only thing that makes me prefer Mario Kart Wii over it is how much easier it is to set up local multiplayer. Here, everyone need to have the system, (and a copy of the game unless you're willing to always play as Shy Guy), while in MKWii, all you need is up to four controllers and one Wii.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star	While definitely the worst in the series, I still enjoy the game, even if I seldom play it anymore. The turn-based battle system works well, (especially for one that's entirely inventory-based) the visuals are gorgeous, the soundtrack is catchy and uptempo, and the game is home to one of my most favorite Bowser fights). The fatal flaw with the game however is the process of solving puzzles. Since the game is set up via World Map, with the Chapters being replaced with individual stages, you'll often find yourself replaying stages in order to find "Thing"s, which the game makes no hints towards at all, in order to solve puzzles in other stages, and sometimes even in other worlds. While I'm all for a non-linear game, I think this game does a bad job of trying to achieve that. Another issue I have with the game is its lack of story substance and memorable characters, (the plot is exactly like that of the mainstream games, and most of the characters are just generic and near-identical Toads and enemies that only make a few appearances if not just one) which combined with the game's lack of some traditional PM elements, make the game feel more like a Super Mario game than a Paper Mario. Overall, I don't hate this game, but it's not a very good Paper Mario game, and I only recommend it for players of the previous games.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team	The only M&L game I've played, so I can't compare it to others. The presentation and musical score are great, the story and characters were interesting and hilarious, (even throwing in some slight mature jokes, a first for a Mario game) the Dream World sequences are challenging yet clever, the battles are fun, and the abilities that the Bros. can do outside the battlefield are cool. However, the main flaw with the game is the lack of aftergame content, (the game literally acts as if you never beat the final boss, a thing that I absolutely fucking hate when video games do) other than hunting for beans and Attack Pieces, and attempting to level up to the point of reaching Rainbow Rank, (which is extremely hard and frustrating to do when you're really close to the end of the game). Also, the tutorial text is incredibly lengthy. Outside of those, this game is still a joy to play, and not only is this miles better that PM:SS, but also the best RPG out of the few I've played.
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon	A true 3DS classic. Hands down the best puzzle game I've ever played, with great atmosphere, slapstick humor, and clever puzzles to boot. The only problem is the lack of exploration, as the mansions are divided up into missions, and even though there's no time limit you still might not have access to the whole mansion at times, (though this isn't an issue with some missions, especially the ones in the last mansion). The bosses were spectacular and fun to take down, and the individual missions are very replayable, not only for gems and hidden Boos, but just for fun (and attempting to get a 3-Star rank on every mission, something I still have yet to achieve). However, my favorite part of the game is the online multiplayer. The amount of customization is incredible for a simple concept, and the ability to actually communicate with your teammates is quite the achievement for a handheld system. However, the multiplayer is prone to occasional glitches, such as red coins and hidden goodies not loading, or the game taking forever to load the next round. Also, the online mode REALLY could've used a moderation system like the one in Smash 3DS, as numerous times my ScareScraping runs are abruptly cut short by players who don't do anything, or randomly quit the game (sometimes as early as the very beginning). For example, there was one instance where one of the other players (their name was in Japanese characters, so I couldn't read it) was playing as the Blue Luigi, and we were on the first floor. The floor began in a room with multiple exits and I took the south route. The Blue Luigi followed me into the following room, which had no other doors in it, and didn't even help me clear the ghosts in it, and after I found the key that was hidden in there, I ended up trapped since he was right in front of the door, and I couldn't get past him. Fortunately, the others managed to clear the floor and even grab all the red coins, so I was grateful for that. But then on the next floor, he once again stood in a random room and did nothing, while the rest of us were taking on some ghosts elsewhere. Amidst the scuffling, we all passed out, and the Blue Luigi quit the game right then and there. Another complaint I have with the multiplayer is that the challenges were clearly built for four players, and when playing with just two, they were ridiculously hard, (even on Normal difficulty, the lowest difficulty available). Aside from these issues, this is a great game that WILL stay in your system for weeks if not months.
Yoshi's New Island	I can't compare this to other YI games since I never played them, but this game is a solid platformer. The visuals are nice, the level design is clever, and challenging (especially near the end of the game and when trying to 100% each stage) the mechanics are solid, and the fight with both Baby and Normal Bowser is brilliant. The fatal flaw with the game is the questionable musical score, with most of the songs being remixes of the main theme, (which is pretty catchy, and some of the remixes I even prefer over it) and the choice of instruments in some other tracks that makes me cringe whenever I hear them. Also, the multiplayer is quite frankly no fun to play. Regardless, get this game whether you're a fan of the original, or just interested in the series.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe	My favorite Kirby game, and for many reasons. The new copy abilities are among the best in the series, and all the ones from the previous games (they finally brought back Wheel!) are nice too, (though I'm slightly disappointed that Water didn't make the cut). The story is once again interesting, and the visuals are cute, colorful and expressive, even managing to surpass RtDL, which was already a gorgeous game to begin with. The soundtrack was also once again fantastic. The introduction of background-oriented gameplay and 3DS motion controls made the levels interesting, the hunt for the sun stones and rare keychains is once again a great challenge, (though the main game itself is also challenging this time around). Additionally, I enjoyed the Hypernova segments, as these felt a lot more intuitive than the Super Abilities, and actually required thought in using it, as opposed to "walk up to a suitable spot, use the ability, rinse and repeat". As for the extra modes, I enjoyed Dedede Tour, (especially the rematch with Dark Meta Knight, (who actually bleeds by the way)) and Kirby Fighters is awesome. However, I'm not the biggest fan of Dedede's Drum Dash, as not only is there not much to it, but there are only a few levels and a few songs, and there's really no need to revisit the mode after getting the best type of medal on each stage. (And yes, I know there's DLC, which adds onto the mode, but I wasn't interested enough in getting it). Overall, this game is a blast to play, and a worthy sequel to the other games.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds	One of only two Zelda games that I own, and the only one that I've completed. The dungeons are well-designed, the story is interesting, the challenge is just right, the enemy variety is astounding, and the presentation is magnificent. After beating the game, my favorite thing to do is to just explore the two hub-worlds, and play through the Treacherous Tower. The main problem I have with the game is its lack of aftergame content, (being a "drop you right before the final boss even after beating the game" kind of game) and the inability to replay bosses, (except for the final boss). The only things you can do are collect Maiamais that you may have missed during the quest and collect optional upgrades. Overall, this is my favorite Zelda, (out of the few I've played), and should definitely be in the library of any 3DS owner.
Pokémon Rumble World	My first introduction to the Pokémon series, and currently the only game in the entire franchise that I own, (I don't have much of an interest in the RPGs since they seem too complicated for my tastes). The game is decent for a "freemium" game, and the gameplay itself is pretty addicting. However, there are some fatal flaws that ultimately ruin the experience for me, such as the forgettable soundtrack (strange for a Pokémon game) and terrible graphics. My main issue with the game, however, is the usage of Poké Diamonds. These basically serve as one of two types of in-game currency. Compared to Pokédollars, however, they're much more scarce, and outside of the ones that you're given at the start of the game, and through a few post-release passwords, they're never given to you in large numbers, (some of the side-missions reward you with around 10 at most, depending on your performance). Due to this, you're rarely gonna find yourself possessing more than a few at a time, especially since most of the items that are MANDATORY for beating the game (i.e. extra balloons) require shitloads of them to purchase. And they're ALSO required to purchase a good majority of the in-game merchandise, and even utilize certain mechanics (such as being able to switch Pokémon after fainting, being able to re-inflate balloons quickly, and being able to manually choose which locale to travel to; abilities which SHOULD'VE been given to you by default) leaving you with thousands of Pokédollars which you'll hardly spend any of, and relying almost exclusively on diamonds, which take forever to grind. Now sure, I have heard of the fountain that grants you 20 diamonds per day and appears when you buy 3,000 diamonds, but here's the ball-flicker: you have to spend real money in order to get your hands on a reasonable amount of in-game currency! So despite the game being free to download/play, you still have to cough up $30.00 in real money just to get a decent portion of the in-game shit. (And that's something that I have yet to do since my eShop account only has 2 cents left, and I don't have a credit/debit card as of yet). Overall, the game still has fun gameplay, and expanding your Pokémon collection is incredibly addictive, though its flaws are still apparent and thus, this game is rather mediocre in my view. If you want to buy this game, I recommend playing it in small bursts each day, so you won't have to wait around for your balloons to re-inflate, and don't spend your Poké Diamonds on anything besides upgrades and balloons (unless you can afford/are willing to pay for the 3,000 diamonds).
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS	See here for details.
Tomodachi Life	The first and only Life-Sim game I ever owned, (and pretty damn good at that), and should be the first game you should try if you haven't tried his genre before, (especially with the game's overall ease and the fact that the Miis won't get on you about not picking up the game in a while). At the time of its announcement, I had many questions: Is there an option to type in what you want to say? Is this like Animal Crossing, to where you control your Mii to move around the island? How are you able to tell what other Miis are thinking if your Mii isn't even nearby? All of these were answered once I got my hands on it. Turns out that the game is more shallow that I thought, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. While typical life-simulators focus on the player, THIS game focuses more on the fellow islanders, (in fact, your Mii is nothing more than another islander, and you can do no more to it than you can anyone else; the Miis even refer to you as "[Whatever Your Name Is]'s look-alike"). The amount of customization for the islanders' voices and personalities is incredible, and so is the amount of things you can do not only on the island itself, but to your islanders. The main draw of the game is helping relationships develop between Miis, solving islanders' problems, and even playing the occasional minigame with them. The problem is that not much is shown about the relationships. If you talk to a Mii that has made friends before, you will usually be asked whether or not they should continue it, rather than them wanting to make another friend or something of the sort. And when you watch friendships form, you don't even get to hear actual dialogue. What about the other Mii does a certain islander like/dislike, thus causing the friendship to grow/not happen? What did they say that made them question each other or laugh? Nowadays, I mostly play the game once a day so I can unlock new items that show up each day, and to check on the islanders. Honestly, after a few months, the game will become less interesting, which prevents me from completely loving it.
Sonic Generations	While a good game in its own right, it's definitely the weakest of the 3DS Sonic games. While it is cool to play with both Genesis AND Rush-style Sonic, the level design is bland, mostly relying on auto-pilot/spring and speed-booster loaded sections, an overabundance of bottomless pits in the later half of the game, numerous sections where nothing interesting happens, and constant chains of enemies that can be Homing Attacked across to either avoid certain death or reach an alternate route. In fact, Act 1 of all the stages from the Classic era are ripped right out of the original games (though of course the graphics were updated). Plus, there's not enough of them, and this version SHOULD'VE focused on handheld levels. Questionable level design aside though, the sense of speed is still incredible, and it's still addicting to replay levels to try and achieve an S-rank. In contrast to the levels, the boss selection was interesting, though some of the bosses were watered down to fit on a 2D plane. Another positive is the presentation, with decent character models, (though I hate how the cutscenes are structured; seriously, this is the 3DS! You should be perfectly capable of making fully animated cutscenes, even if they don't look perfect!) and the remixes of the original tunes (especially Modern Casino Night and Tropical Resort) are fantastic. Overall, Sonic's debut on the 3DS was perfectly solid, but in my opinions, it's greatly outclassed by future games.
Sonic Lost World	I'm not gonna lie, this is my favorite handheld Sonic game! The sense of speed is once again great, the level design is a lot better than Generations, the amount of challenge is just right, (the last Sonic game that had legitimate challenge was Unleashed) Sonic's new moves were fun to use, adding to the already high replayability, and though the gameplay style is different, the developers managed to make the game still feel Sonic-like while still being different. Now obviously, I'm the odd man out when I say I love this game, and I can't deny that it has flaws. For one, I do agree that some of the levels weren't good, (though now I only have ONE level that I don't like, being Frozen Factory 3 with all that monotonous snowball pushing) with Tropical Coast 3 introducing us to terrible Drill Wisp controls, and Sky Road 2 having an awkward camera and too much emphasis on the Asteroid Wisp and being over a giant bottomless pit to boot. And while others seem to dislike how long some of the levels can get, I don't see this as an issue; (I liked Heroes, would've liked '06 if it were finished, and love Unleashed). Plus, if you replay the stages, they CAN be completed in much shorter times. Other than that, my only complaints are the in-game character models, which are ugly, (though I guess they work well with the game's art-style), and the extremely compressed cutscenes. I don't mind them using cutscenes from the Wii U version (which I have yet to play), and I understand that they may have had to compress them somewhat, but surely they didn't have to THIS much.
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal	Easily one of the best 2D platformers on the 3DS. The level design is good, the few animated cutscenes look gorgeous (and were quite the breath of fresh air after the ultra-compressed cutscenes from Lost World), the story is simple, yet hilarious, and the sense of speed is incredible, (especially for a game that was supposed to place more emphasis on puzzle solving and exploration). The ability to switch characters on the fly was a nice touch, and I think that this is how having multiple playable characters in a Sonic game SHOULD work, (i.e. everyone can do the same things, but each character has a unique ability that lets them access areas that others can't). While not the best looking game on the system, this game still has good graphics and during the many cutscnees, the character models are very well-constructed, (with the exception of Knuckles' cheeks), and even though I was at first shocked that the Generations-style cutscenes would be returning, but I was greatly surprised at how they are here; though characters don't speak full dialogue, their animations actually adhere to the very words they're saying as opposed to in Generations where they would simply switch movements to convey their emotions. Also, the animation of objects is fully implemented, as before, the characters simply stood in place as a photo of the object was present in the middle of the screen. One common complaint for the game is the fact that you have to replay previous levels in order to gain badges and unlock new stages. Personally, I don't mind this at all. Not only does it make up for the overall shortness of the game, but hunting for blueprints and crystal shards is fun, and the rewards you get for collecting them all are totally worth it. Plus, with the levels being well-designed and overall fun to replay, I didn't even care that much. In short, this is a fantastic game, and I don't get why the reviews were so negative.