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Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
by Clarey112
I had heard of Kingdom Hearts but had never played it until I decided to buy the 3D version, 'Dream Drop Distance'. I love Disney and Final Fantasy and basically this game combines the two. The game play is based on the story of Sora and Riku and you travel between different lands, lots of them based on Disney classics such as Hunchback ... of Notre Dame and Pinocchio, unlocking keyholes. The graphics are really good both in gameplay and when watching the video clips and the 3D works really well.
You have Dreameaters who travel with you and fight with you, these remind me of Nintendogs as you can interact with them, give them treats and personalise them, you can also use the camera to take photos of them with anything, for example next to your cat. As you advance through the game you find different recipes to make different Dreameaters and you can have 3 on your 'squad' at any time.
Throughout the game you alternate between Sora and Riku by using the 'Dreamdrop' system, the time either counts down and it switches whilst you're in the middle of a level, which can be a bit of a pain but is something you get used to or you can choose when to switch. This does keep the gameplay interesting as you get two storylines per level but as I said does take some getting used to and can be annoying if you're in the middle of a Boss battle or similar.
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Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
by Clarey112
As soon as Mario Kart 7 came out I knew I would have to go out and buy it being a huge Mario fan. Mario Kart is a game I feel that will never become dated, especially as they seem release a new one with every single Nintendo console brought out, each one with its own unique twist and features.
If you don't know Mario Kart works by ... picking a character from 8 classics of the Mario Kart world or you can pick your Mii and you complete 8 different Grand Prix cups each featuring 4 races in 3 different difficulties and you are graded on how well you completed the cup. Once you have completed all 3 difficulties you unlock each one in a reverse direction.
Of course with Mario Kart 7 the biggest feature would be the 3D which definitely adds to the game play in certain levels where you drive through some leaves or water and you get water splats on the screen. Another unique feature about Mario Kart 7 is that they have introduced a new system for some of the new levels where the course is in sections rather than laps, this keeps it more interesting as you don't know what's coming up. There are two new items to collect too, one of them being the racoon tail which allows you to hit other players who try to pass you and the other one being the Lucky 7 which gives you 7 items to use, this item is very hard to get and I've only ever received it from a crate when I've been in last place, much the same as the bullet and star. You can also fly and go underwater in this version of Mario Kart, again a greatly received modern twist and which makes this release stand out from its older relatives.
The internet gameplay Is also very good as long as you have good WIFI, it's very quick to connect and within seconds you can be playing with different racers from around the world.
Nintendo have of course kept the favourite features such as the banana skins and the red, green and blue shells and as is a tradition with Mario Kart games there are levels from other platform games which benefit from the new features. One thing I feel that is missing from this version which the normal DS version had is the mission mode which I found fun and challenging, they have kept the old classics of the coin and balloon battles though.
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New Art Academy (3DS)
by Clarey112
I bought this game for a bit of fun and because it was fairly cheap and it has provided me with something to do when I don't want to play on a game filled with heavy action. It's not a game I pick up every day but nevertheless it is a very good game. The game consists of several different levels known as lessons which you unlock as you ... complete each one, the lessons start off from the very basics of drawing and painting and get more and more complex and detailed as you go on, for example I have learnt how to sketch a tree, paint a seascape and loads more. You have a guide called Vince who takes you step by step through the lessons and you can go back and read over what he said if you get stuck, you can also unlock mini lessons where there isn't as much guidance which gives you the chance to see what you've learnt. You use a variety of medium including pastels, pencils and watercolours and these are very realistic and feel like you're actually sketching or painting on paper.
One really good feature which I love is that you get your own gallery within the game to display your different pictures, you can choose the frame they go in and as you build it up you get a real feel of accomplishment, you can also save these pictures to an SD card. There is also a free mode where you can draw whatever you like and practice newly found skills.
The only bad thing I've found about this game so far is that its sometimes easy to make mistakes if your hand touches the DS screen as its very sensitive and registers it as the stylus, this has happened a few times and I've either had to restart the game or attempt to correct the mistakes.
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