The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds Review: Portraits of Nostalgia and Perfection Beautifully Captured.

Welcome back everyone to my blog.  Twenty one years ago, the Zelda franchise reached a new pinnacle of greatness with the release of Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past for the Super Nintendo entertainment console.  Now, Nintendo has released the highly anticipated sequel, Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS console.  Ever since it’s premiere, people have been very skeptical, as to whether this new installment would be a worthy follow-up to the 1991 phenomena that graced the SNES.  I have had the honor of spending the weekend playing through this title, and now I am prepared to give my review.

Graphics:  It is often very rare to blend beautiful graphics while maintaining the nostalgic feeling that fans have come to grow and love, and thankfully, Nintendo has succeeded in accomplishing this feat.  Fans will be overwhelmed by the nostalgic feeling and fantasic graphics that are present in this beautiful title.  The character designs remain true to the charm of the Zelda franchise.  The world of Zelda is designed exactly like it’s 1991 predecessor, with a lot of new additions to add some spice to the old formula.  Score: 10/10

Sound:  Ryo Nagamatsu is the mastermind behind the beautiful remastering of the classic SNES musical score.  Koji Kondo, the original composer of the SNES classic did not do any work in this title, which is quite odd, but Nagamatsu does a beautiful job in recapturing the classic musical score that still remains in the hearts of fans both old and new.  Score:  10/10

Gameplay:  Zelda returns to the traditional roots of gameplay that fans of old and new generations will enjoy.  The story takes place 600 years after the events of Link to the Past, with our hero Link trying to stop a flamboyant villain named Yuga after he transforms the Seven Sages, Princess Zelda, and Link himself into 2-D portraits.  Fortunately, after receiving a leather wristband from a “unique” ally, Link gains the ability to escape and merge himself into walls at will.  This opens a new realm of exploration and puzzle solving that only adds to the already lengthy quest.

Of course, what would a Zelda title be without side quests and exploration.  Link Between Worlds offers so many mini-games and side quests for players to enjoy.  Cucco dodging, rupee treasure hunting, gambling, and hunting for all 100 of a pink octopus’ children are only a few of the many mini-games and side quests that will keep players entertained for many hours to come.  Score: 10/10

Zelda fans all over should definitely add this worthy sequel to their collection.  The story is very well done, the characters are fun and quirky, and the soundtrack and worlds remain true to the franchise.  It is a very good holiday treat that everyone should indulge in.

Final Score: 10/10

Thank you everyone for your support.  Join me on Wednesday, when I review Ys Celceta: Sea of Trees for the Playstation Vita console.  Until then everyone, take care and keep on gaming.

Knack Review: Building adventure from the ground up.

Welcome back friends to my esteemed blog.  As many of you know, the Playstation 4 console has been released and I have been very busy enjoying all that it has to offer.  Look at the image below for the launch line.  

I want to start off by reviewing one of it’s launch titles, the new adventure game Knack.  Like most new consoles, the launch titles are usually hit or miss.  So, does Knack make the cut as a good premiere title?  Read on to find out.  

Graphics:  Knack delivers a very Pixar Studios like world with colorful characters and vibrant worlds.  The enemy designs are very well done, and you can’t get over how cute Knack is in his tiny initial form.  It all blends in to bring a cute package.  Score: 9/10

 

Sound:  The music in this particular title really makes a stand above the crowd.  Each scene has a musical track that is fitting in exploration, combat, and story sequences.  The voice cast is equally awesome.   I was very amazed at the quality of music that was in this title, and I can assure you that you will be too.  Score: 9/10   

Gameplay:  Knack’s story is unique in it’s own ways.  War is rampant on humans as a result of Goblins led by their ruthless and cunning leader,  Gundahar.  A scientist and his assistant, along with the assistant’s uncle try to stop the goblin’s reign of terror with the help of Knack, the three-foot tall protagonist who is blessed with a unique ability.  Knack can utilize pieces called relics to attach to his body, causing him to grow anywhere from eight feet to three stories tall.  At the same time, Knack’s story tends to divide into fighting the goblins and butting heads with another antagonist Victor, along with his partner in crime Katrina.  This is all combined with beat ’em up combat and platforming elements that bring together a fun-filled adventure.
 

The battles in Knack can range from moderate to very difficult.  Some areas require Knack to combat very large enemies in his tiny form, which results in one-hit kills from most foes that attack him.  Of course, when Knack is giant-sized, he delivers the same one-hit kill style beat down to his now insect sized foes.  There are tanks and combat planes that can knock giant Knack on his big behind, so play your cards carefully.  Score: 9.5/10

There have been many critics who have given this game bad reviews, and I still can’t see anything wrong with this game.  Don’t be fooled by biased reviews, Knack is an adventure that is definitely worth checking out.  I believe critics were expecting too much from Knack, and decided to whine about it when they didn’t get what they wanted.  Even though writer Mark Cerny said initially that the game will be a blend of Crash Bandicoot, Katamari Damacy, and God of War.  In my opinion, Cerny delivered on his promise.  

Final Score: 9/10 

Thanks for reading and be sure to follow my blog, and spread the word about me.  This is going to be a busy week, but I will continue to keep the posts coming.  Tune in soon when I post my review for Contrast, ResoGun, and Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

The Guided Fate Paradox Review

Welcome back friends to another edition of The Gaming Angel.  I hope your Halloween holiday was full of tricks and treats.  Over the last decade, Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) has become known for their very niche gaming titles such as Atelier Iris, Mana Khamia, Ar Tonelico, and of course their most famous franchise, Disgaea.  Now, we look at their latest release entitled The Guided Fate Paradox for the Playstation 3 console.  With NIS titles, it is usually hit or miss with their releases.  So is this another sleeper hit like Disgaea and Atelier Iris, or is this a title you should miss at all costs?  Let’s review shall we?

Graphics:  Fans of the Disgaea series will feel right at home with The Guided Fate Paradox.  The characters are bright and colorful, while the monsters have a very similar design pattern to Disgaea.  The art design of the environments and dungeons are very lush and colorful.  Score: 8/10

Sound:  Yosei Teikoku does a brilliant job of bringing music that is fitting to the situation of the game’s story, while at times, some of the music is a bit too cheerful and perky for the dungeon environments.  Some of the english voice acting is on par, but there are others that make you want to turn the vocal option to Japanese.  Score: 8.5/10

Gameplay:  Like most NIS RPG’s, this is where the proof in quality comes into play.  The Guided Fate Paradox is a dungeon crawler RPG that has many similarities to the Chocobo’s Dungeon series.  You come across a dungeon and explore freely until you encounter a foe or foes, depending on the situation.  When you encounter an enemy, it becomes more turn-based and strategic.  You take turns moving around the map.  When you move, they move-when you attack, they attack.  Click on this link to view an example of the gameplay.  It is a nice change of pace that RPG fans will enjoy.

 

The story of The Guided Fate Paradox is very interesting and definitely unique to say the least, but not unheard of by RPG standards.  You take the role of Renya, a boy who after winning the lottery, is chosen to be god.  Now he must answer the prayers of those that pray to him.  It is indeed an interesting twist to your standard RPG cliches of someone attempting to be a god and trying by any means to achieve it.  In this game, you simply spin a raffle cage and presto, you are now God.  Score 9/10 

NIS faithful fans and Disgaea fans will definitely love The Guided Fate Paradox.  Whether you are an NIS fan or a fan of RPG’s, you should definitely add The Guided Fate Paradox to your gaming library.  It takes a pleasant step away from the typical RPG cliche’s in both gaming and story.

Final Score: 8.5/10 

As many of you know, Playstation 4 comes out next Friday, November 15th.  So I will be back November 18th, with a review of the PS4, and Knack, one of the premiere titles.  Until then friends, be sure to subscribe, take care and Happy Gaming!