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X-Men - Reign of Apocalypse (GBA)
by xisorosix
I became a fan of the X-Men several years ago when I first watched the original cartoon series, and then X-Men Evolution. I liked these series so much that I even hunted down the rubbish pilot episode of X-Men... Pryde of the X-Men (it's pretty bad :( )... When I first saw this gameboy game at a pretty affordable price (around Ł10) ... instead of Ł20+ like the other games, I was convinced to purchase it. It's an old game made for the already out-dated gameboy advance, but if you're like me and still search around for these gameboy advanced games than I hope this review helps you!
The start is promising (for me anyway)... cue dramatic music and graphics featuring the popular goodies and baddies. There is a multiplayer option for VS Mode and Co-Op Mode, but unfortunately I had nobody to play with since you have to connect up your console to another one.
The single player mode features 4 memory slots, selecting one of these always gives you the option of whether you want to rewrite it or not. You get a choice of 4 players to play with once you start a new slot. There is Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and Rogue. Each of them is presented with facts about ability and name, height and weight...
"Returning from a journey to the mojoverse, the x-men enter into a..." There is a small text block that you press through to set the scene at the beginning. Basically the X-Men return to find that their home has been wrecked and they must battle their usual foes.
As you start playing the level, you get commentary from each of the 4 players. It's worth noting that the player you've selected from the start will be the player for the rest of the game. From each scene your task is now to battle through all the mutants that come your way - these aren't Magneto&Co...rather they are just lowly drones that are boring and easy to defeat. This is pretty monotonous and it's set up so that they are just coming at you - you can't move forwards at all until you've defeated the amount they want you to. As you attack and get hurt, you can also see your energy dwindling... This does get tiresome because throughout each level you are pretty much fighting the same drones with only the reward of one of the familiar enemy characters later. It isn't that the mutants that come before X-men's traditional foes are hard to beat, there is just a lot of them.
There are over 10 levels, and having finished this game more than once, you can do the whole thing pretty quickly. The characters don't seem to have any advantage over each other apart from some just look a tad cooler when fighting than others, etc.... I was a little disappointed since the gameplay was much shorter than the other games I've played. Heck, even Pokemon was a lot more entertaining and took up about 8-10 times more time than this game!
I love the thought that went into the graphics though. The backgrounds and animation for the main characters are really nicely done. I like the comic styled commentary that I mentioned before which makes it feel a bit more special than other games.
You can't really do many moves, so your character is just stuck with doing the same thing over and over again... and you are, most likely, going to be sat there bashing your A button or something... Magneto & Co are more difficult to beat than the surge of mutants, but you still don't feel like there was much challenge in doing so!
~~Overall~~
It's an OK game that is rather mindless and repetitive. I love the graphics and wouldn't mind playing this when I'm really bored, and for the money I paid, it's really not too bad. If you want a serious, action packed game that is more than just button bashing, I definitely wouldn't recommend it! 2.5 stars from me...
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Final Fight One (GBA)
by Dentolux
Final Fight is a late eighties arcade side scrolling brawler made by those wonderful chaps at Capcom (or at least wonderful until they became greedy and started to milk consumers for cash by releasing multiple editions of their fighting games within a short period of time.) When you think of classic beat-em-ups Final Fight is right up ... there with the legendary Double Dragon. My first experience with the Final Fight series was the disappointing port released on the Super Nintendo. That particular version inexplicably omitted a level from the arcade game and reduced the roster of playable characters from three to two. After a ten year wait Nintendo players were finally able to sample the full Final Fight experience on the GBA. Let us see if It was worth the wait.
STORY
The game takes place in the violent metropolis known as Metro City which is overrun by hoodlums. Not the type of place you would want to live in, although I hear that it is still safer than the riot capital of the world London... what's with the groans? Still too early to be poking fun at that particular debacle? Anyways, Metro City has decided to fight fire with fire. Rather than elect a posh politician to sort out the criminal mess the inhabitants have voted in former wrestler Mike Haggar to clean up the streets. This may all sound ridiculous, but it's not as implausible as it sounds. Former WWF star Jesse "The Body" Ventura for example went into politics after leaving the squared circle. I guess fake fighting isn't all that different to making fake promises atop a soap box.
Unfortunately for Mike, his term in office doesn't start well. When the cartridge boots up a cut scene informs us that the notorious Mad Gear gang has kidnapped his daughter. In exchange for her release and bribe they politely ask the mayor to let them continue running amok... an offer that the moustached muscle man declines. A shirt less Haggar takes to the streets with the aims of teaching Mad Gear a lesson and rescuing his beloved Jessica. Coming along for the ride is Jessica's boyfriend Cody, who is an accomplished street fighter, and Guy some random ninja who dresses in an all red outfit. I guess he just wants to tag along as he likes to crack skulls. Can the trio of fighters save the damsel in distress and crush the thugs who snatched her away? You'll have to play to find out.
PRESENTATION
Visually Final Fight One looks great. Don't think that because the game is on a handheld that sacrifices had to be made in the looks department. What we get here is pretty much what you experienced when pumping change into the arcade machine. The backgrounds are detailed which set the backdrop for the large character sprites that hog the limelight. It all runs smoothly even when a number of combatants are on screen which is great as there is nothing worse than having the action interrupted by stutter. The character designs of the heroes and villains is impressive. Whilst playing through the game I could certainly see where Sega took their "inspiration" from when drawing up models for the Streets of Rage series.
When performing moves I would have liked to have seen some more frames of animation, but given the age of the arcade game Final Fight One is emulating it is something I can forgive. The title's sound is however not as jaw dropping. The sound effects lack oomph, possibly due to the Gameboy Advance's weedy speakers. That's a pity as having good audio really adds to the gameplay experience when landing a blow in games like this. The music is alright although nothing spectacular. I enjoyed a couple of the tracks used in certain stages, but most of the other tunes were unmemorable. It doesn't compare to the soundtrack in Streets of Rage or even match the catchy Double Dragon theme.
GAMEPLAY
As an early beat-em-up Final Fight isn't revolutionary, but everything it does it does well. You have six levels, set in different areas of the city, to fight through in order to save Jessica (it's a small wonder that Mad Gear didn't execute the hostage after learning of the rescue attempt, but whatever.) The GBA's lack of buttons isn't an issue as the controls are simple making the title easy to pick up and play. The d-pad moves your character, one button attacks and the other makes you jump. By pressing the shoulder trigger it is also possible to perform a special move to knock down bad guys when you are surrounded or to interrupt an enemy's combo. As with many other brawlers the special attack cannot be abused as it depletes your health bar.
Such a simplistic game could potentially get repetitive, but this doesn't happen with Final Fight as they keep throwing new things at you to keep thing interesting. For a start you get a good selection of enemies each with their own attack patterns to counter. As you would expect you'll find regular fodder to beat up, but amongst their ranks are acrobatic guys who do summersaults, bandana wearing baddies who toss Molotov cocktails and the Andore brothers who annoyingly squash you whenever you get knocked off your feet. Hey that isn't fair! Didn't anyone ever tell Mad Gear that it isn't sporting to kick someone when they are down?
The levels also keep things fresh as they all look very different. Apart from the city streets you get to battle on an elevator, in a factory and at a night club (where no one seems to be fussed about the brawls taking place.) Aside from the thugs you have to beat up some levels include obstacles to avoid such as flames and rolling barrels. As you make your way through each level keep an eye out for weapons which will give your fists a welcome rest. Upon completing levels two and four you get propelled into a bonus stage which allows you to rack up on points. My favourite of the two bonus stages would have to be the first one which involves smashing up a car. If you accomplish the vehicular destruction within the time limit the owner appears and bursts into tears. The cheesy voice acting and oversized waterworks from his eyes during that segment are unintentionally hilarious.
SUMMARY
If you are a fan of old school beat-em-ups and own a Gameboy Advance this title is a must have. I was overjoyed to see that they didn't take the lazy route of copying the SNES version. Final Fight One gives you the complete arcade package including all the characters, the missing level and a two player mode which was also not present in the Super Nintendo release. The story is cheesy, but given that most brawlers don't have any cut scenes it was neat to see dialogue at the start and end of the adventure. It gives you some motivation for pummelling fiends as do the exchanges between the characters prior to a boss fight.
Although six levels isn't terribly long there is some replay value to be had. The game keeps track of how many evil doers you have knocked out and when you reach certain milestones extra content gets unlocked. The goodies on offer include extra lives, a level select and alternate versions of Cody and Guy (which are based on their appearances in the Street Fighter games.) As a handheld game Final Fight works really well. The straightforward controls and the game's length make it a perfect distraction to play during your travels. I just hope your journey isn't to Metro City as carrying a Gameboy in that place is mugger bait.
Review also posted on Ciao
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Harvest Moon - Friends Of Mineral Town (GBA)
by jack341
Harvest Moon friends of mineral town is a role playing game based on an unusual premise - farming.
The player is first introduced to the game by a short cut scene explaining how you inherit a farm that has fallen into disrepair. You are told by the towns mayor to start farming and from then on, the world of harvest moon is yours ... to explore.
The main goal of the game is to earn money and improve your farm, and this can be done in all sorts of ways, from growing crops and rearing animals, to collecting things found in mountains and mining.
At the start of the game you are given a set of tools - an axe for clearing wood, a hoe, and a watering can for example. As you earn more money, you can improve your tools and access new areas and abilities, which allow you to improve the scale of your farming operation. This money can also be spent on improving your house and barn, as well as building outbuildings.
The farming is only part of the game however. The in game world also features a large town area with a multitude of characters to interact with. By giving them gifts and interacting more often, your relationship with them improves and lets you access new things, including a wife.
Graphically, this game is a stand out for the GBA in my opinion. They are clear and colourful, and it is easy to discern what things are. Animations are smooth, and environments are varied season to season. As for in game sound, the effects (cows mooing, your axe chopping wood etc) are good, but the initially whimsical background tune can soon become grating. In terms of longevity, harvest moon is essentially infinite, though I imagine after about 20 hours you may get a bit sick of it.
In summary I'd say that Harvest moon is an enjoyable, laid back game that can soon become addictive if you enjoy RPG games, and the desire to attain all there is to be found in the game.
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