Star Fox Zero for the Nintendo Wii U

May 26, 2016 by 2 Comments

Star Fox has quickly become one of the fun Nintendo staples for each of its consoles, from his debut on the Super Nintendo right on through to the Wii U with Star Fox Zero.

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Each one builds upon the familiar,  rails shooting style to open area dog fights, while building up on new vehicles as well as mechanics.

In addition to the familiar Arwing, which is Star Fox’s memorable space craft, there are also the Walker which is a bird type running hopping transformation of the Arwing.  The Land master is a tank design which can also perform on ground rolls from side to side adding much needed mobility to the force of destruction.  The newest addition is the Gyrowing and Direct-i.  This combo vehicle includes a slow moving but very mobile helicopter feeling hover craft which is attached to a small drone type robot which can collect items as well as hack computer systems.

Star Fox has also brought some classic friends along for the adventure this time around as well, including the tough guy falcon, Falco Lombardi, the troublesome Slippy Toad, and the tactician Peppy Hare.

The enemies are varied and a blast to mow through a galaxy of more then 9 locations.  Also Star Fox Zero interfaces with the Fox McCloud Amiibo as well as the Falco Lonbardi figure.  Both of which unlock new Arwing designs for Fox to use.

The controls do take some learning to master, but with the proper amount of trying and learning the game mechanics are easy to get into. My son was more drawn to the Star Fox Guard game, while Dad liked Star Fox Zero.  For fans of the series you are going to have fun, for new comers this is also a nice way to get your feet wet in the gorgeous graphics and fast paced gameplay of a Star Fox dog fight.

Star Fox Zero is out now for the retail prices of $59.99 and includes a second tower defense type game called Star Fox Guard.

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Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition for the Nintendo 3DS

May 23, 2016 by 2 Comments

Disclosure- We received this game in order to review it.  All opinions are our own and honest. For more, see “I Disclose”.

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This is a game for adult players. While there is no outright “acts”, there are some allusions that in my opinion make this not the best game for young gamers.  My husband played this game, enjoyed it, and has reviewed it below.  There are interactions with other characters in the game that are a bit grown up, such as blowing on them, touching faces, flirting, and other things of that nature. Nothing major, but a little to adult for kids for my personal taste.

Fire Emblem is the long running RPG with tactical movements on a grid environment.  Each environment has various obstacles and story line elements from Dragon Veins to deep canyons.  The series spans over 15 games and often refers to a weapon or shield seen as the power of war and dragons.  Each character has a turn in your party and then the enemy gets a turn for each of their characters.  There are also ally characters who you help and defend throughout the course of the game.  The most striking element of this game is the story line.  It starts out as many role playing games do, with a lost main character just trying to fit in.  From there, it spins out of control and an important decision must be made- stay with the family that raised you, side with you biological family, or choose neither.  Depending on your pick is which game you will play each with its own unique story which weaves your player into some interesting adventures and situations.

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Fire Emblem Fates : Birthright has you side with your biological family, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest with the family which raised you and Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation has you side with neither.  Each story is fun to play and is in its own right a fully developed tale, but to get the true entire story all three games should be played.  This can add up to quite a bit of money if each game is purchased separately, but if purchased together in the Special Edition bundle you receive not only all three games on one cartridge on game release without having to wait for Revelations to become available but you also receive a 3DS carrying pouch and a hardcover art book featuring some of the stunning artwork from the game.

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates Conquest retail for $39.99 each and the Special Edition with all three games retails for $79.99.  And will be available 02/19/16.  While Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation will be available for download on 03/10/16 for $19.99  or on 02/19/16 with the Special Edition.

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Simple, Safe Multiplayer in Slither.io

April 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Children love playing video games, but not every game provides a positively ideal experience. As parents, we want our kids to have fun, and we want to worry as little as possible. Slither.io is an easy-to-learn, simple multiplayer game that dodges the many pitfalls of other modern titles.

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Enter a nickname, and move your mouse to play. Within a few seconds, you can enter the competitive world of Slither.io. Loosely based on Agar.io game (which your children might already play), Slither.io puts all players together in one giant arena. Your snake, which starts out small, will follow the mouse cursor. Simply lead the reptile towards glowing pieces of food, and it will grow. Longer snakes are also bigger and move faster. Basically, the more you eat, the better you are.

Slither.io is a great option for both younger and older kids. There aren’t any complex controls to learn, key combos to memorize, or lengthy instructions to read. When the game begins, your snake will start moving. From there, you can choose to slither in a straight line towards food, or try to trap other players with your tail. Advanced players might use their snake’s length to perform quick moves and knock other players out of the game. Whether you choose to play offensively or defensively, you have an equal chance at earning a spot on the leaderboard.

Overall, the graphics in Slither.io game are quite pleasing. The vivid, glowing orbs in Slither.io are offset by a dark background. There aren’t any flashing lights, strobes, or other potentially eye-straining visuals. Unique skins and smooth gameplay keep the experience interesting and enjoyable for hours on end. Best of all, we don’t have to worry about gruesome violence, inappropriate chat room content, or paying for in-game upgrades.

These days, the uncensored Internet can be a very dangerous place with far-reaching consequences. Even seemingly innocent games have chat rooms that allow bullies and strangers to interact directly with others. Slither.io allows no such negativity, and it keeps the action simple. That’s why I recommend Slither.io for kids—and adults, if you’re interested in joining the fun.

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Hyrule Warriors: Legends for Nintendo 3DS

March 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Hyrule Warriors is a fun hack and slash game, mixing the familiar game characters from the Legend of Zelda with the game play and mechanics of the Dynasty Warriors series to make a fun beat ’em up style game with the rich character design and story line of Legend of Zelda.

The story involves Link and some new friends, Lana and Sheik, helping to restore the Tri-Force and save Princess Zelda while defeating the evil Cia.  In doing this, our heroes must travel through eras in the Hyrule time line ranging from Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword  and now Wind Waker as well.

Each level has tons of enemies to mow down using your hero, and now also allows you to switch characters on the fly so you can further develop an attack plan and strategy without leaving too much responsibility to an AI character.

Included in these tons of enemies are also big bosses who have weaknesses and special techniques in order to be defeated.  This keeps alive the puzzle solving aspect of the Legend of Zelda series.  There are tons of characters to play as in Warriors and with this new version there are five more, Tetra, King of Hyrule, Toon Link, Skull Kid and Linkle.  All of these are usable in addition to other favorites like Link and Sheik.

Hyrule Warriors is a good pick up and play game, and is a great game to play on the go or pause and come back to at a later time.  The action being intense and fun while ,still being playable by gamers of all skill sets.

Included with the 3DS game is a download code to bring the new characters now included in the 3DS version of Hyrule Warriors to the Wii U version, further expanding the fun.

Hyrule Warriors is available now for the Nintendo 3DS both in retail stores and in the eShop online for $39.99.

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Craft Delicious Pies at Papa’s Bakeria

March 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Millions of gamers have delighted countless customers at Papa Louie’s restaurants. There have been burger joints, pizza places, and dessert shops. In Papa’s Bakeria, you can join the fun food frenzy with a plethora of tasty pies.

The latest installment in the award-winning management game series, Papa’s Bakeria is bigger and better than its predecessors. In case you’re unfamiliar with the restaurant management genre, the concept is simple: serve customers and earn tips. You might work as a greeter, server, chef, or manager. In some games, your character does it all. Developer Flipline Studios has refined and tweaked this type of gameplay over the course of 12 games in the Papa Louie series.

During your first day on the job at Whiskview Mall’s newest restaurant, you will learn how to take orders, assemble and bake a pie, and decorate the dessert with toppings. Accuracy and efficiency are essential for earning big tips. The overall goal is similar to other games, but Papa’s Bakeria offers a very in-depth experience. There are different types of crusts, fruity fillings, healthy toppings, and sugary extras. Some customers want simple pies, and others order multilayered, one-of-a-kind desserts.

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After completing an order, you will be rated on every aspect of the process. Better rankings equal a bigger tip and weekly paycheck. In the end, more money equals more success. This is due to the excessive amount of upgrades you can purchase for your restaurant. The upgrade menu is filled with nearly 100 pages of boosters, alarms, furniture, and decorations to improve customers’ experiences. If those aren’t enough, you can customize your character with a different hairstyle, body type, and hundreds of facial expressions.

Papa’s Bakeria, play it here, is a fun, well-made game. Each virtual day at the restaurant goes by quickly, as you are always busy taking orders and assembling unique pies. The only potential downside is the sheer amount of available customization, which can be overwhelming to some. Additional entertainment and replay value come from the bonus mini-games, such as Burgerzilla and Slider Escape. These forays into other genres offer a totally different and welcome experience. Overall, Papa’s Bakeria is well-rounded and highly recommended.

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Mario and Luigi Paper Jam for the Nintendo 3DS

March 23, 2016 by 2 Comments

Mario and the crew are back for a brand new adventure that pairs the 3 dimensional Mario with his Paper version, Paper Mario, and his world of characters in the new Mario and Luigi Paper Jam.  The story of the game involves Paper Mario pages to come out of a book which exists in the world of Mario and Luigi.  The characters brought over are both friendly and not, ranging from Paper Mario to Paper Bowser.

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The action in this game is played out in role playing style where the player takes turns attacking with various skills to defeat the enemy.  What sets Mario and Luigi apart from classic role playing games is that they include player interaction by either bouncing like an acrobat on an enemy or tapping as many fireballs volleys as you can (etc).  Battles are action based rather then waiting for your next turn.  This makes the game accessible to both younger players as well as more experienced players.  The 3DS is the perfect console for this type of game, because with it you can just put your game to sleep and come back to it at any time.  I do have this word of warning- once you start playing, you are not going to want to stop.  With funny dialogue and silly interactions, the game is accessible and engaging to all levels of player.

Paper Jam also supports Amiibo’s as special power ups that can be used in battle.  Each Amiibo can store character cards, and during battle the player can call upon these cards via the Amiibo to get powers like temporarily improving your stats, healing your characters, and even making your enemies easier to defeat.  Amiibo’s definitely make the game more interesting and are highly suggested, as they are used across multiple current generations of Nintendo systems from the new 3DS XL to the Wii U.

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam is available now for the Nintendo 3DS retailing for $39.99 and available at both the eShop and retail locations.

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Fun New Video Games

March 23, 2016 by 6 Comments

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.

If you are looking for fun new video games, here is what is in our systems right now.  Check them out, they are great picks for kids of all ages.

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The Pokemon games have been known the world around for their fun role playing and Pokemon collecting fun.  The action is more directed via third person through a trainer.  There is a series of RPG Pokemon games where you play not as the human trainer, but as Pokemon exploring a dungeon filled with other Pokemon to battle, adventures to have, and lots of action and treasures.  This game is called Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and the most recent game in that series is Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS.

In this game you pick your character as well as your “friend” Pokemon, and are transformed into a young Pokemon who must explore dungeons to help solve a mystery which is effecting Pokemon in a terrible way- by turning them to stone.

Throughout Mystery Dungeon, it is possible to meet all 720 known Pokemon -even rare ones and mega evolved Pokemon.  There also many ways in to interact with this game as well, with Wonder Mail players can receive special items via code of QR cods.  Street Pass is also available in Mystery Dungeon, where when you pass another player their Pokemon assist in the next adventure.Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo 3DS is available now for $39.99 in the e Shop as well is at retailers everywhere.

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A little something for the dads- Fire Emblem is the long running RPG with tactical movements on a grid environment.  Each environment has various obstacles and story line elements from Dragon Veins to deep canyons.  The series spans over 15 games and often refers to a weapon or shield, seen as the power of war and dragons.  Each character has a turn in your party, and then the enemy gets a turn for each of their characters.  There are also ally characters which you help and defend throughout the course of the game.  The most striking element of this game is the story line.  It starts out as many role playing games do, with a lost main character just trying to fit in.  From there is spins out of control and an important decision must be made, stay with the family that raised you, side with you biological family or choose neither.  Depending on your pick is which game you will play each with its own unique story which weaves your player into some interesting adventures and situations.  There are some “interesting” situations, like stroking your loved one’s face and blowing on them to “cool them off”, which make me say that this game is for mature players only.

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates Conquest retail for $39.99 each and the Special Edition with all three games retails for $79.99.  And will be available 02/19/16.  While Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation will be available for download on 03/10/16 for $19.99  or on 02/19/16 with the Special Edition.

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Mario and the crew are back for a brand new adventure that pairs the 3 dimensional Mario with his Paper version. Paper Mario and his world of characters in the new Mario and Luigi Paper Jam.  The story of the game involves Paper Mario pages that come out of a book which exists in the world of Mario and Luigi.  The characters brought over are both friendly and not, ranging from Paper Mario to Paper Bowser.

The action in this game is played out in role playing style where the player takes turns attacking with various skills to defeat the enemy.  Battles are action based rather then waiting for your next turn.  This makes the game accessible to both younger players as well as more experienced players.  The 3DS is the perfect console for this type of game, because with it you can just put your game to sleep and come back to it at any time.  I do have this word of warning- once you start playing you are not going to want to stop.  With funny dialogue and silly interactions, the game is accessible to all levels of player.

Paper Jam also supports Amiibo’s as special power ups that can be used in battle.  Each Amiibo can store character cards and during battle, the player can call upon these cards to get powers. Amiibo’s definitely make the game more interesting and are highly suggested as they are used across multiple current generation Nintendo systems from the new 3DS XL to the Wii U.

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam is available now for the Nintendo 3DS retailing for $39.99 and available at both the eShop and retail locations.

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Mario Tennis has been an evolving franchise since the Nintendo 64, and with each iteration the game gets prettier with slicker graphics and tighter game play, as well as a few new bells and whistles.  Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is the newest iteration in the series.

The most prominent addition the Ultra Smash is the Mega Mushroom, which makes your character explode in size to tower over everything at least triple your original size.  This can be both a blessing or a curse depending on how well good you are in the game.  There are a total of 16 characters available in Ultra Smash, some of which are unlocked through playing the game and completing specific tasks.  The game also sports the ability to level up your Amiibo to the best tennis partner ever, improving both their stats and giving them new skills.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is available now for the WiiU from both retail stores and in the eShop.  The game retails for $49.99.

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Today is is MAR10 (Mario) Day! #Mar10Day

March 10, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Celebrated by Mario fans each year, the 10th of March is a special day to remember his impact on pop culture, thanks to how the day on the calendar resembles the beloved character’s name. Nintendo is celebrating with fans by listing some of the famous mustached hero’s achievements throughout the past year and by asking fans to participate by tweeting their favorite Mario moments using the #Mar10Day hashtag. So get your tweet on, and tell the world how much you love this feisty Italian plumber.
Mario’s Year in Review:
  • Mario had a big milestone in 2015! He celebrated 30 years since he leaped his way into people’s hearts in 1985’s Super Mario Bros. Fans across the country celebrated with him in this fun video.
  • Nintendo launched Super Mario Maker, a game that lets fans create and share their own Super Mario Bros. levels. So far, 6.2 million levels have been created by fans!
  • Facebook’s engineers celebrated Mario by creating their very own Super Mario Maker levels for fans to play. Check them out here.
  • A special 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo was released in a classic 8-bit design. The limited-edition figure was a tribute to the original Super Mario Bros. game that launched for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.
  • Mario hit the courts with the launch of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U. In the game, fans play as Mario and friends in intense tennis competitions.
  • For the first time, Mario teamed up with his paper version, Paper Mario, in the colorful action RPG Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam for Nintendo 3DS.
  • With the help of his voice actor, Charles Martinet, Mario celebrated the grand opening of the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza.
…and Mario will have more to celebrate in 2016! Competing with his friends in the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is coming to Nintendo 3DS on March 18 (with the Wii U version launching this summer).
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