Mike Wants a Game Job

Right, so for anyone still reading after a week and a half of inactivity, I'll be on hiatus until next week. Work has been particularly hectic lately plus I have been moving, so I have not had any time to write or play videogames lately. I hope to get my hands on the new Ratchet and Clank, so I should be back in full swing soon.

In the meantime, you can check out another blog I have been contributing to for the East Coast Pokemon League some of my friends have started. Yeah, we're cool like that.

Yesterday the Super Smash Bros Brawl site changed the release date of the upcoming Wii release from December 3rd to "TBD." While it has not been officially stated that the US release will be pushed back, Nintendo confirmed at a press conference yesterday that the Japanese release of the game will not hit Japan until January 24, 2008. This news was subsequently followed by the sound of my heart BREAKING IN TWO.

In brighter news, it was also revealed yesterday that Sonic the Hedgehog will be a playable character in the game. More info and videos can be found at the main SSBB site, but as you may have guess Sonic is incredibly fast.

Game: The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass

System: Nintendo DS

Premise: The latest iteration in the Legend of Zelda series serves as a sequel to LoZ: The Wind Waker. As the game starts the player finds Link and Tetra exploring the high seas when they happen upon a creepy old ship. Upon trying to board it, Tetra is kidnapped and Link falls into the ocean below, only to awaken upon a mysterious island. There he learns of the Ocean King and the evil monster Bellum and sets out with the Fairy Ciela and the roguish captain Linebeck to save Tetra and restore peace to the seas.

Visuals and Audio: As always, one should be wary of 3-D games on portable systems as they usually end up looking grainy and unrealistic, especially when paired with modern console visuals. Fortunately, PH's cartoon-like graphics and attention to detail make it a portable 3-D game that is very fun to watch. Typical Zelda fare can be expected to from the music and sounds; while there is not anything to be terribly impressed with fans of the series will certainly not be wanting for their favorite tunes.

The Good: Nintendo has incorporated the use of the stylus into many of their familiar franchises with mixed results, but it seems like they have finally refined it with PH. Players use the stylus to move, use items, talk, and do everything else that is not associated with pulling up a menu, and it works flawlessly. Also, this game is longer and features more gameplay than any other portable Zelda title, allowing players to prolong the enjoyment of both the tried-and-true Zelda formula and the original control system.

The Bad: Players looking for a challenging Zelda game will be disappointed, though one can imagine they have been that way since the days of Zelda on the N64. While there is a reason the Zelda formula is so tried-and-true, some deviation from the model would definitely be appreciated as far as puzzles and bosses are concerned. Is one really difficult final boss too much to ask?

Why You Should Play This Game:

1. To see that a 3-D DS game can actually look good and use the stylus effectively.
2. New wi-fi capabilities let you trade with and battle your friends.
3. It"s a Zelda game. I know a similar reason was used for Metroid, but I make no pretense about the fact that I am an unabashed Nintendo fanboy.

Rating: 12 out of 14 Heart Containers.